During the financial crisis some traders used it to spread rumors about potential bank failures.

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The vice president and another top Chavez ally accused opposition leaders Thursday of organizing a campaign to spread rumors about the Venezuelan president's health.

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Juvonen's study, however, found boys and girls spread rumors to boost their social status -- and that both genders use physical aggression to assert power.

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Many people like to gossip and spread false rumors.

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In particular, although companies typically want to eliminate negative rumors, they also want favorable reviews and facts to spread.

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In the Internet age, preparation starts with monitoring adversarial groups and blogs that might be inclined to dig up dirt or even spread false rumors.

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" She said she thinks rumors have been spread "to divert attention from election results.

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To be fair, the latest iPad did not arrive in the nation until after rumors of the iPad Mini began to spread.

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The company struggled to pay back the money it had borrowed for acquisitions, and rumors spread that it might become insolvent.

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Today's instant dissemination of false rumors actually makes them less effective: The faster they spread to their targets, the faster they also spread to those who can disprove them.

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