Fake social media accounts falsely announce death of Queen Elizabeth – Fact Check

ByCraig Haley

UPDATE: Queen Elizabeth has passed away since the writing of this article.

A number of fake social media accounts on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have been trying to dupe users with fake headlines about Queen Elizabeth II.

It is true that – at the time of this article’s publication – there has been intense speculation about the Queen’s health after a statement from her doctors that revealed she was being closely monitored.

However in times such as these, spammers and scammers – not those to miss opportunities – have been trying to lure social media users with fake social media posts that claim the Queen has died, despite there being no official announcements that that is the case.

One popular post, which has currently well over 6,000 retweets, attempts to mimic the BBC Breaking News Twitter account, announcing that the Queen has passed away.

Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The above tweet can be dismissed as fake because this is not a BBC Twitter account. It lacks the blue verification tick and the username (next to the timestamp) does not match any official BBC News accounts.

Another account mimicking CNN also makes the same claim.

Again, at the time of writing, there has been no such announcements. Always be careful when sharing content you see on social media, and double check the accounts posting such news, including their usernames and verification ticks. Only share news like this from reputable media organisations.

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