Among other, more minor alleged inventions, House — which carries a disclaimer explaining that names, locations, and other details have been changed, and that some characters are composites — includes scenes in which the film's heroes smuggle cash through airport security inside laptop computers, hollow crutches, and Velcro bags strapped to their bodies; the real people those characters were based on claim that never actually happened. Also, in the book, the students are trailed by a private detective with "narrow ice-blue eyes" who beats up one of them in a casino bathroom. According to the real-life inspiration for the beating victim, this never happened either.

For his part, Mezrich says "The idea that the story is true is more important than being able to prove that it’s true," but whatever — going forward, it's probably safest to assume everything you read anywhere is completely untrue. Unless you read it on Kanye West's blog, obviously.

House of Cards [Boston Globe]
Is “Bringing Down the House” a Fraud? [Paper Cuts/NYT]

Earlier: Breaking Down the Movie ‘21’ Should Have Been