Winning the battle against hoaxes, pranks, scams and spams
The big giants like Google and Facebook have and are adopting measures to combat the four destructive internet enemies above. In a recent post on the Google blog, the company detailed how it blocked some malicious advertisers, websites and scammers in 2016 on its network, with advanced measures in place to block evolving ones.
Facebook has plans and measures in place to detect and block malicious information; posts, media and links to ensure a safer community for its ever-growing members. Government agencies are forcing social media providers to control malicious information and fake news that is primarily spread via their platforms.
Reports, like this one on Forbes, have it that, sanctions may be placed on Facebook to force the company to act in accordance with media guidelines to control malicious information (fake news) on its platform. What of individual internet users? Are there steps you can take to help in the fight? Yes, following the simple steps below will help.
Don’t just share any news based on the caption, featured image, or summary. Always read the content in full, from the first word to the last drop of a word, or until you reach the ‘final full stop’. If you receive any news from unrecognized websites, especially those about celebrities and high-profile public figures that have gone viral, double-check the content’s authenticity.
Read the full content, analyse it, use your power of reasoning, research and get the facts right. Don’t just share. This will help you to make sure whether a post you receive is fake or authentic. Never share a post just because it looks real or because you are asked to share.
Before you hit the share or forward button, pause, think, reflect, research and confirm, yes, get the facts right!
It is better to read from recognized or authentic websites instead of any low-ranked website that you have not heard about. Double-check links before sharing. Some websites are created to look just like authentic ones at first glance, so be careful.
- For example; www.indianpaper.com may be imitated as www.indapaper.com
- Also www.ghanaweb.com as www.ghannaweb.com,
- Again, cnn.com as cnm.com, we can go on until the list becomes endless!
If the news or message is about something big, a huge brand or an international (public) figure, check for the same news from international news outlets such as the BBC or CCN official websites to get the facts right.
If there is an official website in the country of the party involved, check there too. Chances are that the update will be available if it is true and not a hoax. To better fight pranks, scams and spams, make it a habit to avoid clicking links from unrecognized survey posts.
Do not enter sensitive personal information like personal emails, phone numbers, passwords and credit card numbers on web forms, especially those from sites you are not familiar with (I know you won’t try that, but just in case).
Finally, maybe I’m writing much, so let’s end here. Is there anything I need to add? Feel free to let me know in the comment box; scroll down a bit. Please don’t hesitate to share this, it’ll help a family or friend.
