Sources: RealityUncovered

RealityUncovered.com was a prominent "hoax-busting" website active primarily between 2005 and 2012, dedicated to investigating and exposing what its founders described as an elaborate scam within the UFO community.

Origin and Founders

  • Establishment: The site was co-founded by Stephen Broadbent (known online as "Access Denied") and Ryan Dube.

  • Catalyst: The research effort began in 2005 with an analysis of Project Serpo, a purported 1950s human-alien exchange program. The researchers quickly identified Richard (Rick) Doty as the source of the story and characterized it as a hoax.

    Which came first?

    Did the "core story" consolidate "common facts" associated with crashed UFOs and government involvement, or was it a blueprint?

  • Mission: Its stated mission was "Searching for the answers, passionate about the truth". The site focused on uncovering the "Core Story"—a foundational set of UFO myths they believed were created by a small group of "conmen" and "villains" to manipulate the community and wealthy investors.

Funding and Background

  • Financial Structure: The website appeared to be a volunteer-driven initiative. It sought financial support from its audience via donations to help with "continued growth" and investigative costs.

  • Major Investigations:

    • The "Core Story": They identified a meeting at a Denny’s Restaurant in the early 1980s involving scientists Harold Puthoff, Kit Green, and Jacques Vallee as the origin of the modern "Core Hypothesis".

    • The Fake Angleton: One of their most detailed investigations exposed that a man claiming to be the grandson of CIA spymaster James Jesus Angleton (providing "secret notes" to researchers like Bob Collins) was actually a Florida banker with no familial or intelligence connection to the real Angleton.

    • Scammers Inc: The site frequently used the term "Scammers Inc" to describe individuals they believed were profiting from fabricated UFO narratives, including those linked to the "Aviary".

Perspectives from the Community

The site was a polarizing force, drawing sharp reactions from across the spectrum of UFO research and skepticism:

  • Pro-UFO and Fringe Research Sites: * Gary Bekkum (Starstream Research): He responded "heatedly" to their work, calling Reality Uncovered "naive" for suggesting the "Core Story" was rooted in Scientology and arguing they overlooked broader "psychic cold warfare" between the CIA and KGB.

    • The "OM" (Open Minds) Forum: Reality Uncovered researchers had an antagonistic relationship with this group, referring to them as "Obnoxious Morons" and accusing them of creating hoaxes to drive forum activity.

    • UFO Proponents: Figures like Bob Collins and Jack Sarfatti were frequent targets of the site's debunking. While Collins remained largely dismissive and insulted by their findings, Sarfatti eventually acknowledged that some "Einstein notes" provided by their targets were indeed plagiarized from his own public writings.

  • Skeptical Community:

    • The site was often viewed favorably by traditional skeptics for its rigorous "hoax-busting" approach. It frequently cited established skeptical resources, such as The Skeptic's Dictionary and Robert Sheaffer's "The Debunker's Domain".

    • They expressed admiration for investigative reporter John P. Cahn, who originally debunked the 1950 Aztec UFO hoax, calling him a "honorary member" in spirit.