This blog once had to reassure readers that Facebook was not shutting down on March 15, in our post Is Facebook Shutting Down on March 15th? The rumour was a joke that escaped, and it was not the last. Hoaxes are faster now, but they still give themselves away in the same ways.
Five quick checks
- Who says so? A real announcement from a company comes from the company itself, through its official channels, and is reported by several established news outlets. A screenshot of a post from someone's cousin is not a source.
- When was it written? Many "breaking" stories are old ones recirculating. Check the date on the original, not the date of the share.
- Is it satire? Some sites publish fake news on purpose, as comedy. Read the site's About page before you get angry.
- Does it ask you to act fast? "Share before midnight", "copy and paste this to protect your account", "claim within one hour": urgency is the oldest trick there is.
- Does the picture belong to the story? A reverse image search often shows that a dramatic photo was taken years earlier, somewhere else.
The scams that look like news
Not every hoax is harmless. Plenty are built to collect logins or money:
- Fake giveaways promising free phones or gift cards in exchange for your details.
- "Security alerts" that send you to a copy of a real login page.
- Too-good-to-be-true bonuses. Messages offering huge "free casino bonuses" or guaranteed betting wins are a common bait. Licensed operators publish their real offers on their own sites and apps, with the terms attached; an unsolicited message promising free money is almost always somebody fishing.
When in doubt
Do not share it. A rumour you did not pass on costs nothing. If you have already shared something false, a quick correction in the same place is the decent thing to do.
