India is the country 200+ millions of whatsapp users, where users forward more content than anywhere else in the world.

Many times it is not not easy to understand the authenticity of a message. So for a normal person it is very much difficult to understand the authenticity. Here we are sharing some of the tips which may help anyone to identify a doubtful message. And if you are a responsible citizen, you may get if verified with certified fact checking agencies or else we suggest you not forward the information to the next person.

Fake News / Hoax message have something very common, and they are as follows:

• SOMEONE UNKNOWN – SOURCE NOT KNOW
  No one can be held responsible if the information is incorrect. As the other person who passed the information to you, received it from someone else and that someone also received it someone else, this goes one. The someone who wrote the message or created the content, the source is not known.
• NOT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE ELSE,
  False information are often not published in anywhere else other than shared on chatting app like WhatsApp, Telegram, iMO, etc or share on social media network like Facebook, Instagram, etc. Sometimes they have a source and publish on a website which claims to be a news media channel but you have never heard of it before.

  Note: It is alleged that some national news channels like Zee TV, ABP, anchors like Rajat Sharma, Rubika Liaquat, Romana Isar Khan and Ashok Sarkar of ABP and Sudheer Chowdhary of Zee News are booked under section 295A and 153 A for spreading fake news, promoting hatred and lies by Maharastra Police.
  (source :https://www.infeed.in/case-against-abp-zee-and-india-tv-for-spreading-fake-news/ )

  We suggest you exclude a network or source of information who have previous allegation of spreading fake news or being biased.

• FALSE CLAIM – NO PROVEN RECORD.
  They are often claimed to very beneficial,
  Represent like a big breaking news,
  Something Magical,
  Something unjust.
  Something great,
  Something very scientific. etc.

  All the claims are doubtful, if the SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS NOT KNOW or NOT PUBLISHED by any recognized & reputed media.

Some more tips has been shared by WhatsApp Inc to identify misinformation, here they are:

1. Understand when a message is forwarded
   Messages with the “Forwarded” label help you determine if your friend or relative wrote the message or if it originally came from someone else. When a message is forwarded from one user to another more than five times, it’s indicated with a double arrow icon . If you’re not sure who wrote the original message, double check the facts. To learn more about forwarding messages, please read these articles on whatsapp.com.
2. Check photos and media carefully
   Photos, audio recordings, and videos can be edited to mislead you. Look at trusted news sources to see if the story is being reported elsewhere. When a story is reported in multiple places by a recognized & reputed media , it’s more likely to be true.
3. Look out for messages that look different
   Many messages or website links you receive containing hoaxes or fake news have spelling mistakes. Look for these signs so you can check if the information is accurate.
4. Check your biases
   Watch out for information that confirms your pre-existing beliefs and review the facts before sharing information. Stories that seem hard to believe are often untrue.
5. Fake news often goes viral
   Even if a message is shared many times, this doesn’t make it true. Don’t forward a message because the sender is urging you to do so. If you see something that’s fake, tell the person that sent it to you and ask them to verify information before they share it. If a group or a contact is constantly sending fake news, report them. To learn how to report a contact or a group, read this article on whatsapp.com
6. Verify with other sources
   If you’re still not sure if a message is true, search online for facts and check trusted news sites to see where the story came from. If you still have doubts, ask fact-checkers or people you trust for more information. This article helps you to get in touch with IFCN certified fact checkers – Click Here

If you find this article to be useful, please share with your friends & family. Together we will reduce the spread of misinformation.