Halifax Slasher Hoax (1938)

Reports of a mysterious attacker with a razor blade gripped the English town of Halifax in November 1938, resulting in 12 random victims. Vigilante groups formed, but it turned out the "Halifax Slasher" was a hoax-all the victims had made up the attacks, some even slashing themselves. Four individuals faced prison time for their false reports, ironically creating real criminals in the process.