Misinformation About Coronavirus Spreading Faster Than Virus Itself
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Misinformation about the coronavirus is spreading faster than the virus itself and law enforcement authorities want you know about the surge in myths, hoaxes and scams.
According to the Homeland Security Bureau in Southeast Florida Fusion Center, there is an influx of scams and hoaxes on social media and the misinformation is constantly shared and forwarded with little to no vetting.
Currently, one of the top "warning" hoaxes involves "groups of people in white lab coats offering door to door COVID-19 testing with the intention of robbing you."
As of Friday, March 20, 2020, neither the Southeast Florida Fusion Center nor the Miami-Dade Police Department have received any report of this type of activity.
There are other stories of misinformation making the social media rounds as well including:
- Text messages attributed to various officials falsely claiming cities will go into complete shutdown and referencing the Stafford Act. Authorities have since clarified that the information is not true.
- Text messages claiming to be connected to the United Nations with claims about a quarantine.
- Email viruses purporting to be from Human Resources departments, executives and health organizations that cyber criminals have been using to access computers and steal credentials.
- YouTube video with nearly half a million views that advises inhaling hot hair from a hair dryer to cure the coroavirus. Inhaling hot air will not thwart COVID-19.
- An online claim that emissions from crematoriums in China could be seen from space. That was first debunked in February.
- There is absolutely no evidence to tie coronavirus to 5G technology, despite what misleading YouTube videos say.
Click here to see some more coronavirus prevention and treatment myths debunked by Snopes.com
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