We at Privacy Council are tireless advocates of personal privacy and security. We counsel the public to be wary of scams, avoid clicking questionable links, and generally have a healthy skepticism for anything that sounds “too good to be true” or “completely trustworthy.” In short, we try to help people avoid being the victims of identity-stealing, time-consuming tricks.

In honor of April Fool’s Day, though, we wanted to highlight some of the better pranks we’ve heard of. We know YOU wouldn’t fall for any of these, but just in case, remember the Golden Rule of protecting yourself online: Don’t click it, download it, buy it, install it, open it or run it unless you are CERTAIN of the source. And never respond to emails from anyone claiming to be Nigerian royalty.

Dihydrogen Monoxide - This prank has been around for years, circulating online and in petition form. The warnings about dihydrogen monoxide speak of the damage it causes to property and the environment, and how it kills people every year. The message is dire and apocalyptic. The joke, of course, is that “dihydrogen monoxide” is actually water (H2O). Many people have fallen for this prank over the years, most notably a New Zealand politician who called for a ban on the “drug.” You can read more about the history of the dihydrogen monoxide prank at Snopes.

Arm the Homeless – Three college students started this prank in 1993 by sending a press release to the local newspaper about the “Arm the Homeless Coalition” and its efforts to collect firearms for homeless people. Several major news organizations, such as CNN and the AP, picked up the story and ran with it. When the prank was exposed, the students said that they did it to draw attention to “the issues of guns and violence, homelessness and media manipulation in our society.” 

Those Funny Folks Across the Pond – England is the source of two great pranks in history. The first: In 1965, a professor went on BBC and announced that he’d invented Smellovision, a technology that allowed  viewers to smell things through their TV. He used coffee and onions as examples on the air. While there’s no way the smell could ACTUALLY be transmitted through the television, viewers called the station to share that they had smelled the smells. The second: In 1980, the London Daily Express picked up a magazine story that reported that the fur hats worn by guards at Buckingham Palace continued to grow and needed regular trimming. The story was carried as fact until the joke was revealed. (Source: examiner.com)

Taco Bell Buys Liberty Bell – In 1996, Taco Bell bought ad space in several major newspapers to trumpet the news that the company had purchased the Liberty Bell and would be renaming it the “Taco Liberty Bell.” Many people who thought that national treasures like this actually could be sold were incensed, and the Park Service received calls about it. Even some politicians’ offices called to complain, which says something about how much those politicians (or at least their staff) knew about the buying and selling of landmarks.

Various office pranks – Classic office pranks include wrapping everything on someone’s desk in aluminum foil, linking all of the paper clips together, filling the cubicle with packing materials, and putting a Post-It note or sticker over the red light of someone’s optical mouse so that it doesn’t register movement. All of these, of course, assume that coworkers have a sense of humor. I admit that I’ve done the aluminum foil thing before, and the coworker in question retaliated by covering the surfaces in my cubicle with his own business cards.   

Many other sites have great lists of April Fool’s pranks that you can read if you’d like more amusement at the gullibility of people. The Huffington Post has a list of the top 5 April Fool’s Day pranks of all time, some of which made our list here. The Composed Gentleman has a few more pranks of the office variety to share.

The ongoing reminder is to question things that don’t sound quite right. With vigilance, you won’t be a victim yourself. And to help keep your privacy safe and your environmental impact low, sign up for the Privacy Council’s list removal service. Be removed from the major marketing lists and watch your junk mail disappear!