Be on the Lookout for Fake News Surrounding Hurricane Harvey

Rumors are bound to spread in the wake of any tragedy.

And as bad as the rumor mill is, even worse are the cold-hearted scammers who are looking to capitalize on the situation. My case in point, the 1-800 number featured in this tweet as an emergency number actually takes you to Foremost Insurance Company’s claim service.

Maybe it’s an honest mistake, but it sure reeks of scam to me and a whole bunch of people have been sharing it on Facebook.

There are also a ton of pics going around that claim to be of the Houston floods, but aren’t.

This pic is actually of LaGuardia Airport, is at least four years old and is photoshopped.

This pic of a shark swimming down the street is from Hurricane Irene and has been proven to be a hoax.

This heartbreaking photo was taken during the Greenspoint, Texas flood in April of last year.

This pic of an alligator in a neighborhood is, in fact, from Houston, but it dates back to at least April of this year.

And, of course, the satire sites got in on the action.

The story of Black Lives Matter blocking emergency crews originated on a satirical website with a disclaimer, but a lot of people are taking it seriously.

These are only a handful of examples of fake stories/social media posts surrounding Hurricane Harvey. Read more at Buzzfeed.