1 absurd

2 ridiculous

1 to blackmail

2 to extort

1 unfounded rumor

2 to pass on a mistaken belief to others

1 to extort under false pretenses

2 to blackmail

3 to bluff

4 to defraud

1 error

2 mistaken idea

3 falsehood

1 to spread falsehoods

2 to increasingly distort the truth

3 to pile errors on top of errors (idiom)

1 a tiny lapse can lead to a huge mistake (idiom); a minor discrepancy leading to enormous losses

1 the slightest difference leads to a huge error (idiom)

2 a miss is as good as a mile

1 absolutely ridiculous (idiom); preposterous

2 the height of folly

1 to pass on errors or lies (idiom); the propagation of misconceptions