Spotting Misinformation Online

False and misleading information spreads fast online, and not just in politics. Fake safety rumors, bogus health cures, edited photos, AI-generated videos and scam stories reach people on social media and in group chats every day. A few quick habits help you avoid being fooled, and avoid spreading falsehoods to others.

• Everyone
• Workers
• Parents
• Social Media Users

Misinformation, disinformation and why it spreads

• Misinformation is false or misleading information shared without meaning harm, such as passing on a rumor you believe. Disinformation is false information spread on purpose to deceive, make money or cause conflict.
• It spreads because it's emotional, surprising or confirms what we already believe, and because platforms reward posts that get reactions. A shocking claim is more likely to be shared before it's checked.
• It can cost money and cause harm: fake cures, phony investment tips, false safety advice, rumors about chemical spills or disasters, and fabricated stories about people.

Warning signs

• It makes you angry, afraid or excited and tells you to share right away. Urgency and outrage are red flags.
• No source, or a weak one: “experts say,” “they don't want you to know,” screenshots without links, or an anonymous account.
• Strange website: look-alike names of news outlets, odd addresses, no author or contact information, and lots of ads.
• Too good or bad to be true: miracle cures, guaranteed returns, shocking claims about a company or a group.
• Old content presented as new, photos from other events, or videos with the context cut out.
• Edited or AI-generated media: unnatural hands, faces, text or voices, odd lighting, or lip movement that doesn't match. See Deepfakes & AI Scams.
• Forwarded messages in group chats with no origin. Chain messages and “send this to 10 friends” posts are almost always false or scams.

A quick check: the SIFT method

1. Stop. Pause before you react or share. Ask yourself if you know the source and if the claim triggers a strong emotion.
2. Investigate the source. Open a new tab and search the name of the website or author. What do other people say about them? Is it a real news organization, a company, or an anonymous page?
3. Find better coverage. Search for the claim and see if reliable outlets, official agencies or experts confirm it. If only one odd site reports it, be skeptical.
4. Trace the claim, quote or media to the original. Find the full story, study or video. Check dates and context.

Reading laterally, which means leaving the page to see what others say about it, works better than judging a site by its design alone.

Tools that help

• Reverse image search (Google Lens, TinEye): upload a photo or paste the link to find where it first appeared and whether it's been edited or reused.
• Fact-checking sites such as Snopes, PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and the Associated Press and Reuters fact-check pages. Search the claim.
• Official sources: for health, CDC and FDA; for work safety, OSHA and NIOSH; for scams, FTC; for weather, the National Weather Service; for local emergencies, your city or county. Go to the official website directly, not through a link in a post.
• Check dates and locations of videos and posts, and look at the full conversation, not a cropped screenshot.
• Use platform tools to see an account's age, location or “about this account” information, where available.

Safety and health myths at work and home

• Fake health cures and “detox” products, or advice to avoid medical care. Check with a doctor and the FDA. See Medication Safety.
• False safety advice, such as mixing cleaning products, using the wrong extinguisher or skipping PPE. When in doubt, check the label and the safety data sheet. See Safety Data Sheets.
• Disaster rumors such as fake evacuation orders, false contamination reports or fake donation pages. See Charity & Disaster Scams.
• Fake OSHA and training claims, such as certificates that look official but aren't. See Fake Training Cards and What Is OSHA?
• Investment hype, especially in crypto and stocks. See Crypto & Investment Scams.

What to do before you share

• If you're not sure, don't share. Take a minute to check or just let it go.
• If you shared something false, delete it or post a correction, and tell the people who saw it. Everyone gets fooled sometimes.
• Be kind when correcting others, privately if possible, and share a reliable source rather than arguing.
• Report false and harmful posts on the platform, and scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. See Reporting Cybercrime.
• Diversify your news sources, follow reliable outlets directly and be careful with posts that only tell you what you want to hear.
• Talk with kids and teens about checking sources. See Kids Online Safety.

Misinformation checklist

• I pause when a post makes me angry, scared or excited
• I search for the source and for coverage from reliable outlets
• I use reverse image search for suspicious photos and videos
• I check safety and health claims with official sources
• I don't share what I haven't checked, and I correct mistakes

Last updated: October 5, 2026