That's actually the "point" of someone committing actual financial fraud.

The mission of any April Fool joke varies, from simple and crude prankery at someone else's expense to a lesson to be learned or discerned. "Jokes" posted on social media by for-profit or even non-profit corporations typically are part of their publicity mission, seeking to engage with the public in a humorous and positive way via "shares" or news media attention to their gags. A zoo announcing that they will now exhibit a Snuffleupagus, for example, or a brewery announcing it's shifting to all-gluten-free beer production. By now, "listicles" enumerating such gags are common online and on local TV news shows on April 2nd--more publicity.

In the best cases, such tricks may have a philosophical, political, or satirical premise behind them, often based on very current events. In the case of the very timely "Amtrak Horizon cars to IRM" post mentioned above, it's staying ahead of the obvious question that will arise with railfans as to whether any Horizon cars can, will, or should be reused or preserved, and by whom.

The problem arises when people lacking common sense, critical thinking skills, and/or a sense of humor (they tend to be inter-related, in my experience) get taken in by ever more obvious satire/jokes. That's why, increasingly, such jokes are appended with brazenly obvious signs that it's a joke, even having to come right out and append "April Fool!" at the end. And even THAT doesn't always work in a "Too Long; Didn't Read" world online.......

The point of April Fools jokes, like most jokes, is humor. Have a good laugh and move on. What is gained is making people laugh and possibly getting more clicks on your social media network.

If you take everything you read online at face value, no matter how unlikely it seams, the internet is a risky place indeed.

Naw, the best 4/1 posts are mildly prophetic and described as classics:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=41767&p=274163&hilit=514+steamtown#p274163

I wrote this fifteen years ago knowing the 514 was getting a little old in the tooth, and while it wasn't rebuilt as GP-22eco, it didn't have a core swap on the PM, and as I recall now has 645 packs and few other upgrades I can't remember in explicit detail.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29166&hilit=514