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.

Local governments and public safety agencies proactively share critical health and safety information once it has been verified. This process ensures that residents receive accurate information as soon as possible. Unofficial sources may collect information from a large number of unverified sources or report on hearsay which may be misleading at best and dangerous at worse.