A lie can now arrive with its own photograph, voice, or video.

Synthetic media can give misinformation the appearance of evidence. A cloned voice can impersonate someone you trust. An altered video can falsely attribute a statement. A generated image can make an event appear documented before anyone checks whether it happened.

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Unverified postShared 8,400 times

“This just happened downtown.”

Before you believe or share it:

Find the original. Who first published the complete file?

Check the claim. Do credible, independent sources confirm it?

Inspect the evidence. Do provenance records or tools add useful information?

Status: unverified

A convincing clip can make a false claim feel documented. Verification begins with the source and context.

Misinformation can look like evidence.

The danger is larger than “fake content.” Synthetic and authentic media can both be used to support a false story. These are three common ways a misleading claim gains credibility.

The false image circulated online in 2023 that appeared to show an explosion near the Pentagon — Documented case: false Pentagon explosion image, 2023

Fabricated evidence

This generated image was shared as an explosion near the Pentagon. Officials confirmed no explosion happened, but the false post still briefly moved financial markets.

Illustrated example of a family emergency scam call impersonating a relative who urgently asks for bail money — Official warning: Federal Trade Commission

Impersonation

The FTC warns that scammers can clone a relative’s voice from a short audio sample, then use the familiar voice to invent an urgent family emergency.

A real 2009 FEMA photograph of flooding at Six Flags Over Georgia — FEMA photo from 2009, recaptioned in 2024

False context

This authentic 2009 flood photograph was reposted in 2024 as Hurricane Helene damage. The image was real; the new date and story were false.

How do I protect myself?

Do not rely on whether a face, voice, or image “looks wrong.” Pause before acting, find the original source, check the claim against independent reporting, and use provenance or detector tools as supporting evidence.

Test what your senses miss

Take the image, video, and audio quiz, then examine the source evidence behind every answer.

Take the quiz →

Verify the claim and its source

Trace the original post, inspect provenance, compare coverage, and use technical tools carefully.

Learn how to verify →

Keep the steps within reach

Use practical guides for suspicious images, videos, audio, urgent requests, and misinformation.

Browse free resources →

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Front of the Looking Real Is Not Proof business card

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