QAnon

Claim: An anonymous figure "Q," claiming top-level government clearance, alleged that a cabal of Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic pedophiles — including Democratic politicians and celebrities — secretly ran a global child-trafficking ring, and that Donald Trump was secretly working to expose and defeat them in a coming reckoning ("the Storm").

Origins: Began in October 2017 with posts on the anonymous imageboard 4chan, later spreading to 8chan/8kun, Facebook groups, and mainstream platforms, growing into a broad political movement in the U.S. after 2018.

Why it's false: Every specific prediction Q made ("Q drops") failed to materialize over years. No evidence has ever substantiated the alleged cabal; investigations by journalists and researchers traced the posts to identifiable forum administrators rather than any government insider. It absorbed and repackaged older myths (blood libel, Pizzagate) into a slicker, participatory format.

Impact: Linked to real-world violence, including the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, kidnapping plots, and family estrangements; researchers classify it as a significant driver of contemporary radicalization.