How to spot the fakes

Start with where it came from

Most fakes fall apart once you find the first place a picture or clip appeared. A reverse image search shows you older copies and the context they first came with. Tracing a post back to the account that first shared it tells you whether it came from a photographer, a news agency, an AI artist or someone who simply took it from elsewhere. Those two checks settle more cases than anything else, and they take a few minutes on a phone.

Then look for clues

How a picture looks can tell you where to dig, but it is never proof on its own. AI tools still slip up on hands, writing, shadows and backgrounds, and AI video gives itself away in movement and sound. Real photographs can look just as strange: odd weather, rare animals and perfect timing are why genuine pictures get called fake. Use the clues to decide what to check, then go back to the source.