Why do people start viral internet lies?

Does it make money or is it just for the giggles.

Palace of Versailles says the story that they had planted oak trees to replace the Notre Dame beams “has no basis in fact”

Dunno. 

At the time of the Manchester bombing there was widespread social media updates saying there was a load of kids separated from their adults being looked after at a travelodge. It was all bollocks. 

I quite often think about who might start something like that.