Who do I call?: Digital deviants edition

Did you hear that every McDonald’s location is closing tomorrow? Or how about that your favorite celebrity unexpectedly died? What about sending money to a pen pal Saudi prince who swears you’ll get your money back and then some? Fake news, misinformation, phishing, scam emails and account hacking are commonalities in the digital age. Here’s who to call when you or a loved one becomes the victim. Who do I call when I see fake news on Facebook? Following the influx of fake news surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a webpage dedicated to “stopping the spread” of mis- and disinformation. The webpage, www.who.int, links users to pages on how to report information they believe to be false on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, WhatsApp and LinkedIn. In addition, the webpage also had an interactive game called ‘Go Viral!’, a tool created to help protect users from misinformation. Unlike scams, identity theft and fraud, there is little punishment for creating or inciting the spread of fake news. Defamation is the most common threat against companies publishing untrue information, but to sue, the information must be about you and must be damaging to your reputation. According to the...