Three verification tools put to the test

By Aliya Karimjee, Sept. 29, 2022

Hello gossip readers! Today’s tea is about fake news. We all love social media, but we have to be careful of the frauds. This is why we will be using three different tools to help us determine the accuracy of news online.

The Photo

Facebook post, published by Rique Seraphico spills some shocking secrets about Diana, the former Princess of Wales’ love life. Do we not all love a little scandal? This post is just the drama we are looking for; revealing former president Donald Trump and Diana’s “forbidden” 25-year-old love child. Rique Seraphico spilled the tea on this couple following Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

The Source

https://www.facebook.com/seraphico/posts/pfbid029N2JsmsjSjSZy4PwVD8jtVoGhTjLFU9M7zVMnWNf1gmChspxVHqsSqYqxwfPRMsKl

As this is an old post I’ve reported on in 2022, I’ve noticed that when transferring this from my old website to my new one, it says, “This Facebook post is no longer available. It may have been removed or the privacy settings of the post may have changed.”

The Reach

Rique Seraphico recently posted this news on the 25th of September, and it developed a reputation with 640 followers, 21 reactions, five comments, and nine shares. Considering this is news about someone in the Royal Family (British), such as the former Princess of Wales, a fashion icon and world-renowned humanitarian, should receive much more attention and reactions. If the news were true, it would spread worldwide, meaning this social media post is most likely an untrustworthy source.

TinEye Reverse Image Search

The first image verification tool I used is TinEye. Just one second after uploading the post’s image to the site, there were 398 images matching the picture searched. The results illustrate Ivanka Trump with her dad, former President Donald Trump. Kinda ironic, given that the tool’s name is TinEye and Diana’s eyes and face were photoshopped into the image.

Namechk plugin

The second verification tool I used was the Namechk plugin. His username is taken on Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Twitch, Photobucket and Pinterest. I took this opportunity to act as a detective and uncover his true identity. After further investigation, I noticed that his profiles only list his work location. Accordingly, Mr. Seraphico is either a fake profile or a very private person regarding his personal life.

Google Reverse Image Search

The last verification tool I used was the Google Reverse Image Search. I downloaded the picture of the post and uploaded it to the website, where I can see various news articles about him and his daughter, Ivanka. Once again, the face of former President Donald Trump’s daughter was photoshopped onto Diana’s. Fun fact: this conspiracy theory might have originated from former President Donald Trump being rejected by a Royal Family member.

The Verdict

After thoroughly analyzing this Facebook post using three verification tools, I have concluded that it fits the definition of fake news. Effectively, the image is photoshopped to place former President Donald Trump’s daughter’s face on the former Princess of Wales’. Additionally, the information is factually inaccurate as former president Donald Trump and Diana never had a secret affair or child. The only thing about this post that’s unclear is whether the user’s identity is real, as he could be very private or fake. Either way, he is spreading misinformation. That is to say, do not always believe what you see on social media. To recapitulate, journalists must verify their sources using various tools. Without confirming facts, the public will lose trust, and there will be no more point to a journalist’s occupation, as its role is to serve the news to the people.