How to check a viral WhatsApp forward before you share it

Most false forwards follow a pattern: an urgent tone, no named source, and a request to “share with everyone”. You do not need special tools to test them. These checks work on any phone.

Find the original source

A real announcement has an author — a ministry, a police department, a company, a named reporter. Search for the claim together with the name of that organisation. If the only place it appears is in forwards, treat it as unverified.

Check the date

Old news is the most common “fake” of all. Videos of floods, protests or accidents often resurface years later with a new caption. Look for dates, number plates, shop signs and weather that do not match the claim.

Reverse-search the photo

Open Google Lens or upload the picture to any reverse image search. If the same image appeared earlier in another country or context, the forward is misleading, even if the picture itself is real.

Read beyond the headline

Screenshots of news headlines are easy to edit. Look for the headline on the publisher’s own website. If you cannot find it there, the screenshot has probably been doctored.

Notice the emotion

Messages that make you angry or afraid, or that say “before it gets deleted”, are written to be shared before they are checked. That is exactly the moment to slow down.

Look at fact-checkers

The Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit regularly debunks false claims about government schemes and notices, and several independent Indian fact-checking organisations publish checks every day. A quick search for the claim plus the words “fact check” often settles it.

When in doubt, don’t forward

Not sharing is always an option. If a message asks for money, a click on a link or personal details, report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or call the helpline 1930.