History Main / BluffTheImpostor

--> '''Damien:''' So you guys are big [[Creator/StephenSondheim Sondheim]] fans? Me too."
--> '''Joe:''' We love him. Now if you don't mind, I have to-"

* In an episode of ''Series/PromisedLand'', a photography teacher becomes suspicious of the quality of the project a student has handed in and proceeds to ask him several questions in photographer lingo. Bristling at the implication, the student proceeds to not only answer him fluently, but even offer answers that he didn't ask for, thus proving that he alone worked on the portfolio.

* A woman named Shellie Kepley became concerned because she could not reach her father, Paul Gruber, despite the fact that he continued to send her greeting cards for various holidays and events. However, she had noticed that his signature was different. The next time she called him and left a message, she reminded him of her son's upcoming birthday, as well as the money he had promised. Sure enough, she promptly received a card with a check for $25. However, this only ''confirmed'' her suspicions that something was wrong, as it was NOT her son's birthday, nor had she asked him for any money, both of which her father would have known. Police eventually found that a local handyman, Darryl Kuehl, had murdered Gruber to gain access to his bank account and was keeping up the illusion of him being alive by continuing to pay his bills and send letters and cards to his family.

* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn'': When Harley decides to rob Maxi Zeus, she has [[VoluntaryShapeshifter Clayface]] act as a distraction. As Clayface in this version is a ridiculously over-dramatic would-be actor, he makes up an absurdly elaborate cover story about being Maxi's long lost son from a one night stand that Maxi had decades ago. Maxi gets suspicious and asks how it is that his "son" didn't inheret his mother's bright blue eyes, at which point Clayface changes his eye color (which had matched Maxi's) to bright blue. [[ExaggeratedTrope Maxi then proceeds to bluff him with a ridiculous list of various traits that Clayface "should" have inherited]], with Clayface changing to add each one. By the time Maxi calls the thing off, Clayface has turned himself into a lisping, hunchbacked, grotesquely deformed freak.

* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn'': When Harley decides to rob Maxi Zeus, she has [[VoluntaryShapeshifter Clayface]] act as a distraction. As Clayface in this version is a ridiculously over-dramatic would-be actor, he makes up an absurdly elaborate cover story about being Maxi's long lost son from a one night stand that Maxi had decades ago. Maxi gets suspicious and asks how it is that his "son" didn't inheret his mother's bright blue eyes, at which point Clayface changes his eye color (which had matched Maxi's) to bright blue. [[ExaggeratedTrope Maxi then proceeds to bluff him with a ridiculous list of various traits that Clayface "should" have inhereted]], with Clayface changing to add each one. By the time Maxi calls the thing off, Clayface has turned himself into a lisping, hunchbacked, grotesquely deformed freak.

* Used in the ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' manga: Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang are hunting down the shapeshifting Envy and get separated; when they meet up again, they exchange a few words, then start off looking for Envy... until Hawkeye puts her gun to Mustang's head. This leads to a [[MassOhCrap universal "oh crap" from the fanbase]], until...

* ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders]]'':

** This happens again later in ''Stardust Crusaders'' to a man who used his Stand to replicate Jotaro himself, albeit unintentionally. His plan to kill Jotaro goes horribly awry when Jotaro's friends all force him into their car and, because they're bored, repeatedly request "Jotaro" to perform various stunts of increasing danger (such as holding multiple lit cigarettes inside his mouth), each time saying that Jotaro is good at this sort of thing. The impostor pulls them all off and so Jotaro's friends never once suspect he's a fake, but the impostor gets so nervous that he decides it's not worth the risk of self-mutilation and, claiming he needs to take a dump, escapes from the car as fast as he can run.

* In the ''Team 7/Weapon X'' crossover, the two squads meet in an underground base they were both tasked with blowing up. At gunpoint, they ask each other sports questions to find out if they are Soviets. Amusingly, Wolverine (a Canadian) asks a hockey question, which would probably be more easily answered by a Russian than an American.

-->'''Past!Katie:''' Who was my first boyfriend?
-->'''Future!Katie:''' [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Franklin Richards]].
-->'''Past!Katie:''' Wrong! It was a trick question. [[GirlsHaveCooties Boys are gross!]]
-->'''Future!Katie:''' Give it a few years, honey. You'll change your mind.
-->'''Past!Katie:''' Ewww.

* A body-snatcher variant appears in ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 4: Blue Moon'', in which Lan got suspicious when Mega Man tells him to forfeit the tournament. So Lan decided to quiz him, and the player selects the answers. For the first couple of questions, it's entirely possible to get the question ''right'' (subverting the trope), but then Lan throws out a question about the strongest Navi Mega Man has ever faced, and none of the choices given have actually existed in the series. This allows Lan to determine that Junk Man is controlling Mega Man's body. Interestingly, there ''is'' a question about Lan's TrademarkFavoriteFood, but while the canon answer should be "curry" (which isn't a choice given), [[DubInducedPlotHole in the English version]] the correct answer is "hamburgers".

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Casper uses this on "Komi" in ''{{Webcomic/Darken}}''. [[spoiler:It works, but Casper finds himself in a less than ideal situation as a result.]]

* Played with in [[http://wondermark.com/507/ a comic]] from ''{{Webcomic/Wondermark}}''.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/WildWestCOWBoysOfMooMesa'' episode "Stolen on the River", Cowlorado Kid infiltrates a luxury riverboat cruise, in an attempt to nab notorious outlaw and gambler Five Card Cud. Five Card questions his cover story: if Kid is such an accomplished high roller, surely he knows Snake Eye Smithson? Kid claims he won a bundle off Smithson just last week, confirming Five Card's suspicions. After all, Smithson has been dead for over 10 years -- Five Card killed him himself!

[[folder:Webcomics]]

'''Jotaro:''' You're right. ILied. But it looks like someone fell for it.\\

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'':

Related to YouJustToldMe and SpotTheImposter. May involve SpySpeak. See also CoverIdentityAnomaly, PullTheThread and SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay, for when the impostor says something that breaks his or her cover, intentionally or not. Contrast INeverSaidItWasPoison and TrustPassword. May involve ExasperatedPerp. Compare BluffTheEavesdropper

* Both in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' and ''Manga/MagicKaito'' [[note]]Both series take place in the same universe with storylines overlapping[[/note]] has a flashback episode which Kaitou Kid encounters Shinchi Kudo. Kaitou Kid disguised himself as a regular police officer to try and steal the clocktower. The police department know Kaitou Kid is a master of disguise so they ask everyone their name and badge number. When Kaitou Kid is questioned, he gives the person's name and badge number, then the officer ask what their ID number is, which Kaitou Kid gives correctly, and that tips officers that he is Kaitou Kid. Shinichi told the officers to ask for the ID number as most people do not know their ID numbers and figured Kaitou Kid would answer the question.

** when David acquires (gains the ability to morph into) Marco, Rachel taunts the real Marco with "You know you're a toad, right?" and Cassie asks him to describe how it felt when they morphed trout. They know it's Marco because he answers [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastically]] ("Kiss me and I'll become a prince," and "The cracker crumb coating chafed," respectively).
** Marco does beg for them to not try this, because he's terrified that he'll miss a punchline, and Rachel will eat him before he has a chance to explain. (Although, that could be sarcasm, too...)

* It also shows up in Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's Franchise/SherlockHolmes story ''The Adventure of the Three Garridebs''. When a man claiming to be an American lawyer recently arrived in London calls on Holmes, Sherlock first asks whether the American had placed an ad in the "agony columns" and is assured that he did, then when the 'American' says he's from Kansas, Holmes mentions an old correspondent of his, Dr Lysander Starr, who was "mayor of Topeka in 1890." The 'American' assures him that Dr Starr's memory is still honored in Kansas. After he's left, Holmes assures Watson that he's not what he claims - there was no ad in the agony columns and "Dr Lysander Starr" is completely fictional.

* In ''VideoGame/CallofDutyBlackOpsColdWar'', this can be avoided during the KGB infiltration mission where Bell and Adler disguise themselves as soviet soilders in order to break into a vault and steal a list of sleeper agent names. While making their way to the vault, a young [[spoiler:''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare'' Imran Zakhaev enters the elevator they are in and asks two questions. If Bell answers correctly, then Zakhaev exits at the next floor with no problems. But if Bell answers wrong, then the trope gets played straight with Zakhaev attacking both soidlers. During another playthrough of the level, Bell and Alder can avoid answsering questions simply by knocking him out.]]

* In ''Defenders of Stan'', ButtMonkey Stan has a deathray pointed at two guys. One is his {{jerkass}} brother, Ted, and the other is his brother's evil robot clone. Stan says, "I love you, Ted." The robot clone says that he loves him too while his brother laughs and calls him gay.

* Spoofed in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "German Guy": when Chris discovers that his new elderly friend Franz is a former SS officer, Franz holds Peter at gunpoint, but Peter knocks his gun out of his hand, allowing Chris to get it. [[FatIdiot Chris]] suddenly thinks that Franz is Peter's EvilTwin and asks them what's his birthday. Franz answers correctly and Chris shoots Peter and hugs Franz, who takes back the gun. Peter rightfully calls Chris out for his incompetence, [[NeverMyFault but Chris argues that he should've learned his birthday]].

* Briefly subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' episode ''Masquerade'', where five Autobots disguise themselves to resemble the Decepticon car-based team, the Stunticons, and thwart Megatron's plan. The real Stunticons escape and confront their duplicates, but Megatron is smart enough to call for the Stunticons to [[CombiningMecha combine]] into Menasor, figuring that the Autobot fakes won't be able to do the same. The real Stunticons immediately comply, while the Autobots...merge to form their own Menasor, much to everyone's confusion. The writers were being clever here, as the team of Autobots disguised as the Stunticons includes Mirage, an expert with holograms, and Windcharger, whose special power is his ability to control magnetism. Windcharger therefore 'links' the Autobots together in the rough shape of Menasor, at which point Mirage disguises them as a copy of the real thing. It works, up until Soundwave reminds Megatron that the real Menasor will be able to access the Stunticon's own special powers and weapons.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'', Egon bluffed a Janine imposter by referring to his mother as his Aunt Helga. The real Janine would recognise Egon's mother because they've met before.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' Episode ''Temp Check'', a temp that Rigby hires turns out to be a shapeshifter that gradually changes until it's impossible to to distinguish between the two of them. The attempt to get the impostor to expose himself by asking questions fails, so Mordecai offers the winner of the challenge a hug. "Rigby" takes it, which outs him as the impostor (since, earlier in the episode, it's shown that Mordecai and Rigby would never hug one another.)

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''

* In ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'', episode 39, Kiriha suddenly remembers to return a Digimemory he borrowed from Taiki, and Taiki agrees. Except that the borrowing never happened, and Kiriha hands over a small explosive device that ruins Splashmon's impersonation of Taiki.

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure: Stardust Crusaders'':

* Both in Manga/DetectiveConan and Manga/MagicKaito [[note]]Both series take place in the same universe with storylines overlapping[[/note]] has a flashback episode which Kaitou Kid encounters Shinchi Kudo. Kaitou Kid disguised himself as a regular police officer to try and steal the clocktower. The police department know Kaitou Kid is a master of disguise so they ask everyone their name and badge number. When Kaitou Kid is questioned, he gives the person's name and badge number, then the officer ask what their ID number is, which Kaitou Kid gives correctly, and that tips officers that he is Kaitou Kid. Shinichi told the officers to ask for the ID number as most people do not know their ID numbers and figured Kaitou Kid would answer the question.

* In a ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' story from when the Parker family lived in [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers Tower]], Chameleon walks in disguised as Peter. Aunt May notices something is off right from the start, and hits him with three of these, starting by offering him oatmeal cookies ([[DoesNotLikeSpam which Peter hates]]). Once he's eaten the (drugged) cookies, she explains how badly he screwed up just before he passes out.
* In ''Comicbook/OldManLogan'' #25, Logan stops at a diner he frequents. He notices the staff is different, and asks the waitress what happened to Lexi. After the waitress responds by saying Lexi took the day off, Logan grabs her and reveals nobody named Lexi has ever worked there. It's then revealed that the real staff has been [[KillAndReplace killed and replaced]] by members of the [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk Gang]].

* [[http://archiveofourown.org/series/82162 Stars From Home]]: Scott uses this when he believes Raven is impersonating Alex; he is already convinced, but tries to prove it to Charles by having Alex describe the day Scott was born. [[spoiler:It works. Alex appears several years older due to experiments keeping Scott young. So Alex couldn't remember the day Scott was born--because it happened before Alex himself was born.]]

* ''Series/CharliesAngels''

* Played with in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' by Renesco the Rocketman when you're looking for parts. After giving the password, you're asked for the second password - your only response is to cuss out the foreman for not giving you the second password. Renesco then says to relax, that there was no second password. Humorously, if you leave this quest on the backburner for too long, you can forget the first password too...

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''

* ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}''

** When David acquires (gains the ability to morph into) Marco, Rachel taunts the real Marco with "You know you're a toad, right?" and Cassie asks him to describe how it felt when they morphed trout. They know it's Marco because he answers [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastically]] ("Kiss me and I'll become a prince," and "The cracker crumb coating chafed," respectively).

** when David acquires (gains the ability to morph into) Marco, Rachel taunts the real Marco with "You know you're a toad, right?" and Cassie asks him to describe how it felt when they morphed trout. They know it's Marco because he answers [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastically]] ("Kiss me and I'll become a prince," and "The cracker crumb coating chafed," respectively).

* A variation in ''Film/MyCousinVinny''. During the climax, Vinny puts his girlfriend Mona on the stand as an expert witness. The prosecutor demands to test her claim as an automotive expert. He asks her a question about a very specific model of car, she protests that it's a "bullshit" question. He assumes it means she's faking her expertise and tries to call her out on it. She responds that the model of car he was asking about didn't exist, corrects the question, and then answers it correctly.