Beware, me hearties! Learneth to spy out the scurvy trickery on ye Facebook Groups! Scam be afoot!
2023-08-25
Avast, ye scurvy dogs! Word be spreadin' that them Facebook groups be teemin' with bilge-filled messages. Beware, me hearties, 'tis a hoax ye be facin'! Keep an eye open, aim true, and steer clear of such treacherous waters!
A new report from Full Fact, an independent fact-checking charity in the UK, highlights the serious misinformation problem in Facebook groups. The report reveals that there have been 1,200 cases of hoax posts in Facebook groups in the past year, and this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. The charity found that at least 115 different communities in the UK have been targeted by hoaxes, with similar examples found in groups overseas.These hoaxes are often designed to frighten local communities, with examples such as false claims of a serial killer on the loose in Dundee, Scotland. Full Fact suggests that many hoax creators use a bait-and-switch tactic, initially posting fake stories and later editing them to contain affiliate links or engagement posts for monetary gain.
While Meta, the parent company of Facebook, states that fraudulent activity is not allowed on their platforms, Full Fact believes that policy changes at Facebook have inadvertently contributed to the problem of hoax posts in local community groups. One key policy change in 2013 allowed users to edit posts while retaining likes and shares, and another change in 2021 allowed people to join groups without admin approval.
Full Fact recommends several ways to avoid falling for hoax posts in Facebook groups, including checking if a post has been edited, examining the comments section and image usage, and running the post's text through a search to see if it has been used elsewhere. Despite Meta's efforts to combat misinformation, hoax posts continue to be a problem, and users are advised to be vigilant and cautious when engaging with content in Facebook groups.