Steve Harvey is not dead, but your phone may have a virus

If we had a nickel for every time fake news about Steve Harvey’s death circulated, we’d have three nickels—which isn’t much, but it’s strange that it’s happened three times. Early this morning, scrollers were shocked and upset to see a NewsBreak article announcing the comedian’s passing … except it’s not true. Not only that, but people who clicked on the link reported that it was actually a spam or virus link. Oops!

The headline, “Steve Harvey Passed Away Today: Remembering The Legacy Of A Comedy Legend,” quickly made the rounds on social media, causing an online meltdown as fans succumbed to the knee-jerk reaction of clicking the share button without confirming the news first. . The article also claimed that Harvey died at the age of 56, although he is actually 67 (and still alive, of course). This isn’t the first time the rumor mill has mistakenly “killed” Harvey. It’s not even the second time. This is fake death number three for the comedian.

Not only did this – let us emphasize, FALSE– News spread like wildfire, but it could have triggered the spread of something more malicious. Many users reported that after clicking on the fake link, their devices displayed what appeared to be spam at best or malware (and viruses) at worst. Apparently, the only real death here was the virus protection on a large number of smartphones.

Scammers are notorious for using sensational headlines to elicit the “instant click” response. They know that if users take a second to think about what they’re seeing, they’ll navigate away from the shady link and confirm the information elsewhere. The moment you think twice before clicking is the difference between getting your device infected (and possibly your information stolen) and carrying on like it’s just another normal Wednesday.

Quick refresher on protecting yourself from similar schemes:

1. Do not click on suspicious links. No matter how much the headline tugs at your emotions, just don’t.
2. Verify news through reputable outlets. If you don’t recognize the name of the news source linked to the article, navigate away and do a quick Google search to confirm the story.
3. Keep antivirus software up to date. Yes, running system updates can be a pain, but dealing with a virus—or worse, replacing your device—is much worse.

Steve Harvey is a comedian. If he’s going to break the internet, it’ll probably be with another epic Family feud moment or a perfectly timed joke – not a fake obituary. The next time news of Harvey’s “death” starts circulating, double-check before you start grieving. History tells us he’s probably still standing there rolling his eyes at how gullible we all are.

We’re sure Steve Harvey appreciates the love he was shown this morning when the internet thought he was gone, but let’s let the man live — and learn to verify a story before he clicks on a sketchy link.