Fall for (something)

If you fall for something, you believe a lie - or you are easily convinced to believe something that is not true.

1. If you see a flashing advertisement on a website saying something like, “This is not a joke. You are visitor number 1,000,000!”, don’t click on it even if it says you will win something! I don’t understand how people fall for it when it is so common!

2. In the story by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, an emperor is convinced to wear invisible clothes, falling for the lie that the clothes were invisible to anyone who was stupid. All of the emperor’s officials, and in fact the whole town fell for it – until a child shouted out, “But he hasn’t got anything on!”

3. If you get an email from someone telling you that they have millions of dollars they would like you to help move out of a certain African country, don’t fall for it. It is a world-famous scheme called “The Nigerian Scam”: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/advancefee/nigeria.asp

4. Do you sometimes fall for practical jokes on April Fools’ Day (April 1st)? If a joke is convincing then it is easier to fall for. If you would like some ideas for next April Fools’ Day, here is a site with many ideas: http://aprilfoolzone.com/ 

5. People who are naïve or gullible believe everything they hear without questioning it. They are easily convinced and fall for any story or excuse.