Pause Before You Share - Helpful Tips
- admin495926
- Jun 2
- 18 min read
Real, Reliable, or Risky?
Simple steps to help you check social media posts, images, videos, and online claims before you click, share, donate, or reply.
REMINDER
Last week, we looked at how to recognize suspicious emails, texts, posts, and calls. This week, we are looking more closely at social media posts, pictures, videos, and online claims, including content that may be AI-generated, edited, misleading, outdated, or unsafe. |
Introduction: Social Media Safety: How to Spot Misleading or Unsafe Posts
Social media can be a useful way to stay informed, connected, and aware of what is happening in the community. However, not everything we see online is accurate, safe, or trustworthy. Some posts may be misleading, outdated, copied from another source, created by artificial intelligence, or designed to make people react quickly.
Before clicking, sharing, donating, replying, or giving personal information, it is important to pause and check whether the post is reliable. A few simple questions can help you decide whether the information is supported by evidence, whether the source can be trusted, and whether the post is trying to pressure you into acting too quickly.
This post explains practical warning signs to look for in social media posts, pictures, videos, and online claims, including possible AI-generated or edited content. It also offers simple steps to help you verify information before you act.
Why This Matters
Misleading social media posts can cause people to worry, react too quickly, share false information, click unsafe links, donate to fake causes, or provide personal information to scammers.
Taking a few moments to check a post, picture, video, or online claim can help protect you, your family, your business, and your community. It can also help prevent the spread of misinformation, especially when a post uses fear, urgency, sadness, or anger to make people act immediately.
As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, some fake or altered content can look very real. That is why it is important to pause, ask questions, and verify the source before clicking, sharing, paying, donating, or replying.
What Does “Reliable” Mean?
A fact is something that can be checked and shown to be true or false using evidence. It is usually specific, verifiable, and supported by reliable information such as records, documents, data, receipts, photos, or trustworthy witnesses. A fact is different from an opinion because it is not based only on feelings or personal views.
Reliable evidence is information that comes from a source you can trust and that can be checked. Good examples include official websites, reliable records, contracts, invoices, receipts, court documents, recognized news organizations, public health websites, universities, and qualified experts.
To decide whether a source is reliable, check:
Who created or published the information
Whether the website or organization is trustworthy
The date the information was published or updated
Whether evidence, references, or documents are provided
Whether other reliable sources confirm the same information
Whether the wording is balanced, not emotional, exaggerated, or pressuring
Whether it is a fact, an opinion, or a social media claim
Before trusting or sharing information, check who published it, when it was published, what evidence supports it, and whether other reliable sources can confirm it.
Other Warning Signs to Notice:
Be cautious if a post:
Has many comments that look repetitive or fake
Has many shares but no reliable source
Comes from a page that was created recently or has no clear owner
Uses only shocking images, emotional wording, or dramatic claims
May be satire or entertainment but is being shared as if it were real
Makes health, legal, financial, government, police, charity, or public safety claims without official confirmation.
Check whether popularity is being used instead of evidence
A post may look trustworthy because many people have liked it, shared it, or commented on it. However, popularity is not the same as proof. A popular post may be accurate and well supported, but the number of likes, shares, comments, or views does not prove that the information is true.
Before trusting or sharing the information, ask yourself:
Does the post provide a reliable source?
Does it link to an official website, recognized news organization, or expert source?
Is there real evidence, or does it only rely on how many people are reacting to it?
Are the comments adding useful information, or are they mostly opinions, rumours, or emotional reactions?
Are people sharing the post because they verified it, or because it made them react quickly?
Tip: Likes, shares, views, and comments can show that a post is popular, but they do not prove that it is accurate. A popular post may still be based on evidence, but you should check the evidence itself before trusting or sharing it.
A Questionable Post
Why this post should be questioned.
It uses urgent language: “Share before it is removed.”
It asks for personal and banking information.
It does not name a real organization or official source.
It says the government is not advertising it yet.
It relies on “a friend who works with the organization.”
It pressures people to act quickly.
It targets seniors directly.
The post relies on emotional comments, shares, or urgency instead of a clear source, date, organization, or official confirmation
The post contains spelling mistakes or awkward wording, such as “unresonable,” “confirm you identity,” “confirmed its real,” “disapears,” “goverment,” or “recieve.”
Illustration: Emotional images can make a post feel real, urgent, or believable. Always verify the source before clicking, sharing, donating, or providing personal information. After reviewing the warning signs below, return to the image and look closely for clues that it may have been AI-generated, edited, staged, or taken out of context.
Examining an Image: Is It Suspicious?
A post may include a picture that looks convincing at first, such as smiling volunteers giving grocery cards to seniors. But if you look closely, the picture may show warning signs that it has been AI-generated, staged, edited, or taken out of context.
Warning signs that an image may not be what it appears to be.
What to look for:
Look closely at:
1. Hands and fingers - extra fingers, missing fingers, twisted hands, or hands that do not match the body.
2. Faces and eyes - uneven eyes, strange teeth, blurred ears, odd skin texture, or faces that look too smooth.
3. Text in the image - signs, labels, posters, badges, or logos with misspelled words or letters that do not make sense.
4. Background details - objects that melt together, strange furniture, crooked buildings, impossible shadows, or repeated patterns.
5. Lighting and shadows - light coming from the wrong direction or people/objects not matching the background lighting.
6. Too perfect or too dramatic - an image that looks overly polished, emotional, staged, or “too good to be true.”
How to verify an image or video
1. Ask who posted it.
2. Look for the original source, date, and location.
3. Search whether the same image appears on reliable websites.
4. Use reverse image search tools such as Google Lens or TinEye.
5. Ask whether the image is being used to make you angry, afraid, sad, or rushed.
Important Note
When examining an image, the goal is not to decide based on one detail alone. One unusual feature does not automatically prove that an image is fake, edited, generated by AI, or misleading. Instead, look for what needs to be verified.
Check the source, date, location, context, and whether the same image appears elsewhere from a reliable source. Look closely for warning signs such as unusual hands, distorted faces, strange shadows, incorrect logos, misspelled signs, or background details that do not seem realistic.
No single sign is conclusive on its own. A real image can look unusual, and a fake or altered image can look very convincing. The safest approach is to gather your observations, verify them using reliable sources or reverse image search tools, and put all your findings together before reaching a conclusion or sharing the image.
How to Identify a Questionable Link.
Before clicking a link, pause and look carefully. A link may be questionable if something feels unusual, rushed, unfamiliar, or slightly “off.”
1. Look at the website address
Check whether the link goes to the real organization’s website.
For example:
Safe-looking official style:
Questionable examples:
A scam link may use a name that looks familiar but is not the real website.
________________________________________
2. Watch for spelling changes
Be careful if the link has extra letters, missing letters, numbers, or strange words.
Examples:
· amaz0n.ca instead of amazon.ca
· paypa1.com instead of paypal.com
· canada-revenue-refund.com instead of canada.ca
Scammers often use addresses that look close to the real name.
________________________________________
3. Be careful with shortened links
Shortened links hide the real destination.
Examples:
bit.ly/...
tinyurl.com/...
t.co/...
These are not always dangerous, but you cannot easily see where they go. Be extra careful if the message is unexpected.
________________________________________
4. Do not trust the text alone
A link may say one thing but go somewhere else.
Example:
The message says:
Click here to visit Canada Revenue Agency
But the actual link may go to a fake website.
On a computer, you can usually hover your mouse over the link without clicking to see the real destination at the bottom of the screen.
________________________________________
5. Check the link before clicking:
Instead of clicking the link:
Hover over the link without clicking, without
Look at the bottom-left corner of your browser window, or the taskbar/status area, to see the real web address
Check whether the address looks official
Does it match the organization
Go directly to the official website instead
Check the website name carefully
Report or delete suspicious links
Important: Do not click the link if the address looks suspicious, misspelled, shortened, or unrelated to the message.
________________________________________
6. Look for pressure or urgency
A questionable link often comes with a message such as:
“Act now.”
“Your account will be closed.”
“Payment failed.”
“You have a refund waiting.”
“Click immediately to avoid penalties.”
“Your package cannot be delivered.”
Urgency or overly dramatic wording is a common warning sign.
________________________________________
7. Be extra careful with money or personal information
Do not click a link if it asks for:
• Banking information
• Passwords
• Verification codes
• Credit card information
• Social Insurance Number
• Date of birth
• Copies of identification
• Remote access to your computer or phone
Instead of clicking the link, go directly to the official website by typing the address yourself, or call the organization directly using a phone number you already know is legitimate. Ask whether they sent you the message, link, request, invoice, notice, or alert.
________________________________________
8. Check the sender
Ask yourself:
Was I expecting this message?
Do I know the sender?
Does the email address or phone number look official?
Is the tone normal for this organization or person?
Even if the name looks familiar, the account may be fake or compromised.
________________________________________
9. Use the safest method
Instead of clicking the link:
Close the message.
Open your browser.
Type the official website yourself.
Sign in from there.
Check your account directly.
For banks, government services, delivery companies, and online accounts, this is usually the safest approach.
________________________________________
Simple reminder
A link is questionable when you cannot clearly verify who sent it, where it goes, why you received it, and whether the request is legitimate.
One warning sign does not always prove a link is dangerous, but several warning signs together mean you should stop, verify, and avoid clicking, until you are sure.
RECAP - Step by Step
Step 1: Pause before you act
Before you click, share, donate, reply, or provide personal information, take a moment to slow down. Be especially careful if the post is trying to make you feel rushed, scared, angry, guilty, or overly emotional.
Step 2: Identify what the post is claiming
Ask yourself: What exactly is this post saying? Is it making a health, legal, financial, government, safety, or community claim?
Step 3: Check who posted it
Look at the person, page, group, business, or organization that shared the post. Ask whether you recognize the source and whether it is trustworthy.
Step 4: Look for evidence
Check whether the post gives a clear source, date, location, link to an official website, documents, or other reliable proof. If there is no clear evidence, be cautious.
Step 5: Check the image or video carefully
Look for signs that the image or video may be AI-generated or edited, such as strange hands, distorted faces, misspelled words on signs, unrealistic backgrounds, mismatched shadows, blurry edges, or missing context.
Step 6: Verify with reliable sources
Search for the same information on trusted sources, such as government websites, public health websites, recognized news organizations, or fact-checking sites. See below for Helpful Links / Resources.
Step 7: Do not click unknown links
If the link looks suspicious, do not click it. Go directly to the official website by typing the address yourself.
Step 8: Be extra careful with money or personal information
Do not provide banking details, passwords, verification codes, Social Insurance Number, date of birth, copies of ID, or remote access to your device unless you are certain the source is legitimate.
Step 9: Check whether the post may be satire, entertainment, or fake popularity
Ask whether the post may be a joke, satire, edited content, or entertainment being shared as real. Also look at whether comments, shares, or reactions seem repetitive, fake, or unsupported by a reliable sour
Step 10: Decide whether to share
If you cannot confirm the information from a reliable source, it is better not to share it.
Simple reminder:
Pause.
Check the source.
Check the date.
Look for proof.
Check the link before clicking.
Verify with reliable sources.
If you are not sure, do not click or share.
Helpful Links / Resources
Use these resources to check whether a social media post, image, video, or online claim is reliable before you click, share, donate, or provide personal information.
1. Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: for reporting fraud or attempted fraud. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says fraud or cybercrime can be reported online by a victim or witness, and victims should contact local police as soon as possible.: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm
They help with:
· Fraudulent emails, including phishing emails
· Fake online ads or posts
· Fraudulent calls/texts
· Identity theft attempts
· Reporting suspicious digital content
You can submit reports online and they collect national data used by police.
2. Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (the Cyber Centre) is part of the Communications Security Establishment Canada. It is the single unified source of expert advice, guidance, services, and support on cyber security for Canadians. This is Canada’s national cybersecurity authority. https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en
They focus on:
· Phishing and email frauds
· Malware and hacked accounts
· Online impersonation
· Guidance on detecting AI-assisted scams or fraud and deepfakes
· Alerts about emerging digital threats
They also publish very practical guides on spotting fake emails and suspicious content patterns.
3. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Cybercrime: Canadians depend on technology daily, giving criminals the chance to commit crimes for financial, ideological, or political gain. As data becomes more valuable, protecting Canada's cyber security is more important than ever. Cybercrime affects everyone, from individuals to businesses and the government. The RCMP has special units to fight cybercrime and keep Canadians safe online. https://rcmp.ca/en/federal-policing/cybercrime
The RCMP handles:
· Criminal fraud investigations
· Online impersonation cases
· Extortion scams (including AI voice/video scams)
· Large-scale cybercrime operations
If fraud involves money loss or identity theft, they often become involved after reporting through the Anti-Fraud Centre.
4. Get Cyber Safe: Get Cyber Safe is a national public awareness campaign created to inform Canadians about cyber security and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves online. https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en - This is a public education platform (run by the Canadian government).
It helps you:
· Recognize fake emails and phishing attempts
· Understand AI-generated scam tactics
· Learn how to verify suspicious messages or posts
· Improve personal online security habits
5. Competition Bureau Canada: The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth. https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en
Useful when scams involve:
· Fake businesses or ads
· Misleading online promotions
· Fraudulent marketing claims (including AI-generated ads or reviews)
· They focus more on consumer protection and deceptive marketing.
What counts as “AI-generated fraud” in practice?
These agencies typically act when AI content is used for:
· Fake emails pretending to be banks or employers (phishing)
· Deepfake videos or voice calls impersonating people
· Fake social media posts or ads designed to scam people
· Fraudulent job offers or investment schemes
· Bot-generated impersonation accounts
What you should do if you find something suspicious
· Do not click or reply
· Screenshot or save evidence
· Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
· If money or identity is involved, also report to your local police (https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/community-safety-and-crime-prevention/scams-and-fraud.aspx) (613-236-1222) or RCMP (613) 993-7267)
Fact-Checking Websites
Fact-checking websites are essential tools for verifying the accuracy of information, especially in a digital age where misinformation can spread rapidly. They help users discern the truth from fiction by providing evidence-based conclusions and debunking falsehoods.
Here are several widely used fact-checking websites:
AFP Fact Check: https://factcheck.afp.com/
Addresses misinformation spread through social media and public discourse.
· FactCheck.org: https://www.factcheck.org/
Provides in-depth analysis of political claims, misleading ads, and viral misinformation.
Reuters Fact Check: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/
Reuters Fact Check: Offers evidence-based fact checks on viral stories, global news, and trending claims.
Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/
Focuses on urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
PolitiFact: https://www.politifact.com/
Specializes in checking statements made by politicians, public figures, and pundits.
Lead Stories: https://leadstories.com/
A fact-checking site that reviews viral claims, rumours, and misleading online content.
These websites can be useful for checking claims, comparing evidence, and reducing the spread of misinformation. They are helpful tools, but it is still wise to compare more than one source.
A fact-checking site that reviews viral claims, rumours, and misleading online content.
These websites can be useful for checking claims, comparing evidence, and reducing the spread of misinformation. They are helpful tools, but it is still wise to compare more than one source.
Use these when a post makes a surprising claim, shows a dramatic image, asks you to share quickly, or gives health, legal, financial, or government information
Reverse Image Search Tools
Reverse image search tools can help you check where an image may have appeared before online. This can help you see whether a photo is recent, original, connected to the claim being made, or being reused in a misleading way.
You would use reverse image search tools because pictures online are not always what they appear to be.
A reverse image search helps you check whether a photo has been:
· Used before
The image may be old and reused to make a new post look recent.
· Taken from another event or location
A photo may be real, but it may show a different city, country, person, or situation.
· Copied from another website
The image may have been taken from a news article, stock photo site, social media post, or unrelated page.
· Edited or taken out of context
Sometimes a real image is cropped, altered, or shared with a misleading caption.
· Connected to a scam or fake profile
Scammers may use stolen photos to create fake accounts, fake charities, fake emergencies, or fake business pages.
When to use:
If the picture seems emotional, shocking, or too perfect, unreal, seems questionable, pause and check where it came from before sharing, donating, or replying.
Some examples include:
Google Lens: https://lens.google/
Best for quickly identifying an image, object, place, product, or similar photo.
TinEye: https://tineye.com/
Best for checking whether a picture is old, reused, copied, or taken out of context.
TinEye is also a good Canadian option because it is based in Toronto.
Bing Visual Search: https://www.microsoft.com/bing/visual-search
Good as a second image-checking tool if Google Lens or TinEye does not give enough results.
Government of Canada — Online disinformation: https://www.canada.ca/en/campaign/online-disinformation.html
Use this for Canadian guidance on spotting misleading information, emotional red flags, fake social media accounts, spoof websites, and using reverse image search.
Government and Public Health Websites
For official information, go directly to official government or public health websites.
Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/
Government of Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/
Ottawa Public Health: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/
City of Ottawa: https://ottawa.ca/
Use these for information about benefits, taxes, health, laws, passports, public notices, municipal services, and safety information.
Bias and Reliable Information
No source and no individual is completely free from bias. Bias does not automatically mean something is false or wrong, but it can affect what information is emphasized, minimized, or left out. It becomes a concern when it misleads people, encourages unfair judgment, or causes harm to a person or group. Everyone has some bias because we all see information through the lends of our own experiences, values, culture, education, emotions, beliefs, and the information to which we are exposed. A source can also have bias because of who funds it, who writes it, what audience it wants to reach, or what message it wants to promote. News organizations also make choices about what stories to cover, which experts to quote, what words to use, and what details to emphasize. However, reliable information should be based on evidence, clearly sourced, fair in presentation, and open to correction. The goal is not to find a perfectly unbiased source, but to look for information that is factual, transparent, and supported by more than one credible source. |
How to verify if news is accurate and fact-based
Before trusting or sharing a news story, take a few minutes to check whether it is supported by evidence, reliable sources, and other credible reporting.
1. Check who published it
Look at the website, organization, or account that shared the story.
Ask:
· Who is behind this information?
· Is it a recognized news organization, government source, expert, or unknown account?
· Is there an author’s name, date, and contact information?
The Government of Canada recommends checking the source, verifying whether it is real and reputable, and always comparing the story with other sources. When several reliable news organizations report the same basic facts, it can help confirm that the story is more likely to be accurate. Still, always check whether they are independently reporting the information or repeating the same source.
2. Check the date
Make sure the story is current. Old news can be reposted and made to look new.
Check:
· When was it published?
· Has anything changed since then?
· Is the post using an old article, photo, or video to create a new reaction?
3. Compare with other reliable sources
Do not rely on only one post or one website. Search the same topic and see whether other credible news organizations or official sources are reporting the same information.
MediaSmarts and the Government of Canada both recommend checking other sources before accepting or sharing online claims.
4. Look for evidence, not just opinion
A fact-based news story should include details such as:
named sources
dates
documents
official statements
data
direct evidence
links to original information
Be cautious if the story makes strong claims but gives no proof.
5. Watch for emotional or pressure-based language
Be careful with posts that try to make you react quickly by using fear, anger, shock, guilt, or urgency. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security advises people to be cautious with content that provokes a strong emotional response, makes bold claims, uses clickbait, or exaggerates small pieces of information.
6. Check the image or video
A real image can still be misleading. It may be old, edited, or from a different event. Use tools such as:
· Google Lens
· TinEye
· Bing Visual Search
These can help you see whether the image appeared somewhere else before.
7. Use fact-checking websites
Search the claim on fact-checking sites such as:
· AFP Fact Check
· Reuters Fact Check
· Snopes
· PolitiFact
· Lead Stories
The International Fact-Checking Network has a Code of Principles for fact-checking organizations, including commitments related to fairness, transparency, and evidence-based corrections. Link: https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/
8. Find the original source
When possible, trace the claim back to where it started.
For example:
· Instead of relying on a social media post about a government program, check Canada.ca.
· Instead of relying on a screenshot of a news headline, go to the news organization’s website.
· Instead of relying on someone’s summary of a report, look for the original report.
Summary: To check whether news is accurate and fact-based, pause before sharing. Check who published it, when it was published, whether other reliable sources are reporting the same information, and whether the article provides evidence. Be cautious with posts that use emotional language, shocking claims, or pressure to act quickly. When possible, check the original source, use fact-checking websites, and use reverse image search tools to see whether pictures or videos are old, edited, or taken out of context. |
Other Good Places to Check
Ad Fontes Media - https://adfontesmedia.com/
Use this to check where a news source falls on a chart for reliability and political bias. It rates sources using a content analysis method and an interactive media bias chart.
Media Bias/Fact Check - https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/
Use this to look up a news website and see its general rating for bias and factual reporting. It is useful, but it should still be used with judgment because ratings include some human analysis.
NewsGuard – https://www.newsguardtech.com/
Use this to check whether a news website follows basic journalism standards, such as publishing corrections, identifying ownership, separating news from opinion, and avoiding repeated false claims. NewsGuard provides detailed “Nutrition Label” reports explaining its ratings.
International Fact-Checking Network — IFCN – https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/
A fact-checking network based at the Poynter Institute. It supports fact-checking organizations and promotes standards for nonpartisan, transparent, evidence-based factchecking.
Use this to find fact-checking organizations that follow published principles for nonpartisan factchecking, transparency, sourcing, and corrections.
Important distinction
A fact-checking site can help verify whether a specific claim is true or false.
A media bias rating site can help you understand whether a news outlet is generally reliable, biased, opinion-heavy, or fact-based.
There is no single website that can prove news is completely neutral. However, tools such as Ad Fontes Media, Media Bias/Fact Check, and NewsGuard can help you check whether a news source is generally reliable, factual, and less biased. For specific claims, use fact-checking organizations that follow recognized standards, such as members of the International Fact-Checking Network. Always compare more than one source before deciding whether news is accurate. |
Conclusion
Key Takeaway Before you believe, click, share, donate, reply, or provide personal information, pause and verify. A social media post may look professional or convincing, but it may still be misleading, outdated, edited, AI-generated, or unsafe. Check who posted it, look for a clear source, date, location, and evidence, and confirm the information with reliable sources before acting. Simple reminder: When in doubt, pause. Check the source, the date, the link, and the request before you act. If you cannot verify it, it is better not to share it. Closing Note Taking a few moments to pause and verify a social media post can help protect you, your family, your business, and your community from misinformation, frauds, unsafe links, and unnecessary worry. The goal is not to become overly reactive or suspicious of everything we see online or hear on the news. We do not need to verify every message in our inbox or every post we read. |
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Quick Question Before You Go
Has a social media post ever made you hesitate before clicking or sharing?
Yes
No
Maybe - I have had doubts before
I have never thought about it before
You can vote for more than one answer.
When something makes you hesitate, that is often the right time to pause, check, and verify before you click, share, reply, donate, or provide personal information.
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