If we had a nickel for every time false news of Steve Harvey’s death circulated, we’d have three nickels—which isn’t a lot, but it’s strange that it’s happened thrice. Early this morning, scrollers were shocked and saddened to see a NewsBreak article announcing that the comedian had passed away… except it isn’t true. Not only that, but people who clicked on the link reported 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 verifying the news first. The article also claimed Harvey died at age 56, even though he’s actually 67 (and still living, obviously). This isn’t the first time the rumor mill has falsely “killed off” Harvey. It’s not even the second time. This is false death number three for the comedian.
Not only did this—let us emphasize, FALSE—news spread like wildfire, but it might have triggered the spread of something more nefarious. Many users reported that after clicking the bogus link, their devices displayed what seemed 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 that “instant-click” reaction. They know that if users take a second to think about what they’re seeing, they’ll navigate away from the shady link and verify the information elsewhere. That moment of thinking twice before clicking is the difference between having 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:
- Don’t click on suspicious links. No matter how much the headline tugs at your emotions, just don’t do it.
- 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.
- 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 bogus obituary. Next time news of Harvey’s “death” starts circulating, double-check before you start mourning. History tells us he’s probably still standing, likely 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 believed he was gone, but let’s let the man live—and learn to verify a story before clicking on a sketchy link.
