As much as I love DS 1991. I am pretty sure in 1991 they could totally have found out B was lying. And I am CERTAIN in 2012 they would definitely be able to confirm the cousin from England cover story is total bull....
In the ep of the '91 Series that is currently being featured, Sheriff Patterson actually admits that Barnabas has been at the top of his suspect list, that he'd run every check on him that he could think of in both the US and England and even had Interpol look into him, but it all came up with nothing, and in England they'd never even heard of him. However, when asked what that told him, Sheriff Patterson is adamant that nothing IS nothing.
And when you think about it, regardless of the version of DS, the Collins family has really little reason to doubt Barnabas' story. After all, he's the spitting image of the man in the portrait who's supposed to be his ancestor, and he even owns the man's cane and ring. And he's also an expert on the 18th century Collinses, as might be expected of someone who's supposed to be connected to the present day family through that generation. Elizabeth herself even remarks in more than one version that she thought she was an authority on the family history but Barnabas' knowledge of it is extraordinary. What's there really to doubt? And with overwhelming evidence like all that of his connection to them, where's the reason to investigate him?
190 days 0 hours 3 minutes 1 second until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!