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It presents itself as a breaking-news announcement and attributes the information to Fox News. A Facebook post currently visible in search results repeats essentially the same claim, stating that former President Joe Biden, his wife and his grandson supposedly died in a plane crash “few minutes ago” near Canada.
But a social-media post saying that Fox News reported something is not the same thing as an actual Fox News report.
Anyone can write “Fox News says” at the beginning of a Facebook post.
That does not mean Fox News actually published the story
For an extraordinary claim involving a former president, credible confirmation would normally be expected from multiple major news organizations and official sources.
False reports about political figures can be even more consequential.
That makes independent verification even more important
If Joe Biden had actually died in an aircraft accident, the story would not remain confined to an obscure social-media post.
International news organizations would be reporting it.
Government officials and political figures would be issuing statements.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board could potentially become involved if the incident occurred within U.S. jurisdiction or involved U.S. aviation interests.
The complete absence of such corroboration is a major warning sign.
The “Just Minutes Ago” Formula Another suspicious element is the phrase “few minutes ago.”
This wording is frequently used in viral misinformation.
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