Fake news: Sevastopol police urges to be critical of unverified information

In some cases, using technical means, representatives of unfriendly foreign structures falsify the voice of high-ranking officials and, supposedly on their behalf, disseminate false information in the information space that can intimidate city residents, encourage rallies that are not coordinated with the authorities, and violations of public order. It is also possible for attackers to send SMS messages under the guise of emergency services or make phone calls to citizens with false information designed to cause panic (for example, about an announced urgent evacuation, a sudden breakthrough of enemy troops into our region, an impending natural disaster, etc. ).

To prevent the above-described negative effects Sevastopol police urge you to trust only official sources of information. If you see such a message, then you must not give in to fear and refrain from any rash actions. In such a situation, we recommend that you go to the official website of the government agency from which such news allegedly came and make sure that it is not true.

Do not repost false information under any circumstances. We warn that public dissemination, under the guise of reliable messages, of knowingly false information about circumstances that pose a threat to the life and safety of citizens, entails criminal liability under Article 207-1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

source: press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Sevastopol (based on materials from the legal adviser of the legal group of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Leninsky district, Dmitry Obelov)