Detective Vance was handed a ransom note cut from yesterday's newspaper. The kidnapper demanded one million dollars. Vance scanned the note, looked at the date printed on the newspaper masthead at the bottom of the cutout letters, and immediately told the precinct that the note was a fake made by someone trying to delay the investigation. What was wrong with the date?
The date on the newspaper clipping was from a future date that hadn't occurred yet.
A newspaper cannot be from the future, meaning the perpetrator accidentally used a proof copy or misprinted edition, exposing the hoax.
About this riddle
Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.
Difficulty: Hard. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
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