That Bigfoot Hoax Did Not Net $2 Million in Internet Traffic

The “Bigfoot Hoax” perpetrated by Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer in 2008 was a short-lived but highly publicized event that garnered significant media attention. An article we found years ago exaggerated the potential financial gains from that hoax, claiming they could have made $2 million from advertisements on their web sites. In fact checking that in 2024, the truth of the Internet traffic earning potential seems quite different. In this article we will examine the actual events and their implications more accurately.

The Hoax

In early July 2008, Whitton and Dyer announced on YouTube that they had discovered a Bigfoot corpse in the north Georgia mountains. They claimed to have found a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound creature and even stated they had seen other similar beings in the area.

The Reveal

The hoax quickly unraveled when:

• The “corpse” was thawed and revealed to be a rubber gorilla costume[3].
• The costume was stuffed with opossum roadkill, entrails, and slaughterhouse leftovers[10].
• The hair sample, when burned, melted “uncharacteristic of hair”[2].
• Jerry Parrino, owner of an internet Halloween costume retailer, recognized the “corpse” as one of their products after viewing photos[1].

Media Attention

The hoax did indeed attract significant media coverage:

• A press conference was held in California to announce the “discovery”.
• Major news outlets, including CBS and ABC, covered the story.

Consequences

While the original text suggests potential financial gains, the actual consequences were quite different:

• Matthew Whitton, a police officer on medical leave, faced termination from his job due to the fraud.
• The hoaxers faced public embarrassment and loss of credibility.
• No evidence suggests they made significant money from the hoax.

Internet Marketing Perspective

While the hoax did generate substantial web traffic, it’s important to note:

• The potential for monetization was likely much lower than $2 million.
• Ethical considerations and legal risks associated with such hoaxes outweigh potential financial gains.
• Legitimate marketing strategies are more sustainable and less risky for businesses and individuals.

Is there any money in web traffic in 2024? I think not. The craze to monitize views with “click-bait” is part of what killed the Internet. If advertisers paid real money from having bots visit your web site, with the massive numbers of hits I get on this blog from bots, I could probably bring in a few million dollars over the next five years by putting ads up. I won’t do it. Honestly, I would rather have a blog free of advertising than a few million dollars.

Is There Money in Bigfoot Hoaxing?

It’s worth noting that Rick Dyer was involved in another Bigfoot hoax in 2012, which might have resulted in significant financial gains, but from charging admission ($10 per adult, $5 per child) to view a bigfoot body, not from Internet traffic. In that later hoax, Dyer claimed to have killed a Bigfoot-like creature and charged people to view the body, reportedly earning close to $500,000 from the tour.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the Bigfoot hoax did demonstrate the power of sensational news to generate attention, it also serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of deception and the importance of critical thinking in the age of viral internet content.

And Yet …

Even with the overwhelming evidence that this was a hoax, the fact that they told ten different stories and admitted the hoax[10], there is something tricky in the human mind that wants to believe. I’ll admit to this fleeting thought: What if the real hoax is that this bigfoot was real? In other words, what if they really DID have a bigfoot, but they were made to discredit themselves in order to keep it quiet? I’m a sucker born every minute. Lol.

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^{[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Dyer_(hoaxer)
[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bigfoot-claim-exposed-as-hoax/
[3] https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/story?id=5610329&page=1
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15bigfoot.html
[5] https://abc11.com/archive/6330296/
[6] https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/science/bigfoot-was-rubber-gorilla-costume-idUSN20352079/
[7] https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/bigfoot-hoax-revealed/
[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26222822
[9] https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113514/https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/25154269/bigfoot-hoaxer-nothing-wrong-with-what-im-doing/
[10] https://web.archive.org/web/20180819060027/https://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/08/21/bigfoot.hoax/}