OFFICIAL MEDIA VS SOCIAL MEDIA: BEWARE OF FASIQ & SCAMMERS?

Once upon a time, everyone trusted official newspapers and television. That trust still exists, but it's fading because numerous alternative news sources have emerged on social media platforms.

However, recently, social media has become a breeding ground for scammers with various fake news stories, investment opportunities advertisement, government aid news, and much more. As a result, many people have fallen victim to these scams, highlighting the need to be vigilant, cautious, and not blindly follow feelings, sensations, or emotions in believing them.

Many have fallen prey to various investment schemes on social media simply because they use recognizable people's images or logos of well-established companies and institutions, leading them to believe these scams. Unfortunately, it's all a hoax. Deception and misuse of logos and names are effortless on social media.

Hence, I believe the first filter when considering something on social media is:

1. If it involves INVESTMENT, ensure it's genuinely from the claimed company. SEARCH for the OFFICIAL website of the company and CONTACT them (the COMPANY and not the promoter) to verify the authenticity of the web and their products. Don't fall for it unless you have confirmation, as scammers can easily claim to be from any company.
2. If it's an INVESTMENT with images of trusted individuals, FILTER it by checking the official social media profiles of those individuals, usually with a substantial and longstanding follower base of over 5 years. Then, obtain verification.
3. If it's NEWS, including medical treatments using every sort of organic elements etc and Islamic related matters, make sure the social media is clearly owned by a specific company or individual who can be held accountable in court for misinformation and deceit.

If the social media account or website lacks clear ownership, NEVER believe its news, as it's a significant sign that it's owned by scammers. The nature of scammers involves mixing both true and false news, making it difficult to recognize the deceit, just like the modus operandi of get-rich-quick schemes that benefit participants in the beginning to win their trust.

News from official media like TV and newspapers is more reliable because of responsible companies and professional editors. If there's defamation or factual errors, they can be held accountable.

We need to be responsible readers by prioritizing quality and factual responsibility over sensationalism, gossip, and baseless accusations.

Allah, the Almighty, says:

??? ???????? ????????? ??????? ???? ????????? ??????? ???????? ????????????? ???? ????????? ??????? ??????????? ???????????? ????? ??? ?????????? ?????????

"O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful." (Quran, Al-Hujurat: 6)

In this verse, the term fasiq or "disobedient" can apply even when the individual is known, but if they are not confirmed by any company or individual and their information is unverified, it undoubtedly falls within the scope of this verse.

Beware, when using any information from social media, even websites and blogs, without clear sources.

Allah has provided His guidelines to prevent us from forming mistaken beliefs and convictions that could lead to accountability in the hereafter (for those who still have faith).

Dr. Zaharuddin Abd Rahman

www.elzarshariah.com

www.mycourse.my