Have you ever seen the term "Hoax"  used to describe a real situation accurately?

Do you know some of the proper definitions for it that go beyond a joke
with a deviant twist?  

I didn't. 

I always thought it was just another term for "trick" or "prank",
with a small context.

I'm glad I found the larger meanings for it.
Without those, I was struggling to convey in many words
what can be summarized in one. 

-- Hoax -- 

a) "A plan to deceive a large group of people.  A trick"

b) "To Trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false
and often preposterous"

If I told you there were  approximately 440,000 Licensed Real Estate Professionals in California,  and then I told you many of them were victims of a Hoax that was being perpetrated by a few of them on their peers as well as the public,  could you suspend your disbelief long enough to hear me out? 

I hope so.
It won't take long, even though this Hoax is
REALLY DAMN BIG AND GNARLY.