A good way to identify an official source of information is to visit your city’s or the county’s website. On most local government websites there is a page dedicated to contact information and official social media accounts. Many city websites end in “.org” or “.gov.” Double check to make sure you are visiting the official webpage, not a private site or an employee group.

Some best practices to avoid rumors or unverified information include:

• Watch out for websites that end in “.com.co” as they are often fake versions of real sources.
• Odd domain or usernames/handles generally equal odd and rarely truthful news.
• Posts with bad grammar, inconsistent capitalization, or all caps are good indicators for unprofessional and unverified content.
• Read beyond the headline. If a provocative headline drew your attention, read a little further before you decide to pass along the shocking information.