Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong and the Connecticut State Police  released a Public Service Announcement encouraging residents to fact check the information they receive about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The public has questions about COVID-19, and what happens next – and they deserve accurate answers about how to stay healthy, when we’ll reopen, and more. Unfortunately, during times like this, scam artists are spreading false information, and trusted sources may even be sharing false information unknowingly.

“Whether inaccurate information is purposely posted to deceive and defraud individuals, or is shared unknowingly by people who believe it’s true, misinformation can be dangerous,” Attorney General Tong says in the video. “We need you to rely on information from official sources and credible subject matter experts.  For both Connecticut specific information and federal resources, visit ct.gov/coronavirus.”

“Spreading false information during a state of emergency only hurts the people we care about most,” said Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James C. Rovella. “We encourage Connecticut families to take a step back, and research the information they see in places like social media before sharing it. Fact checking information that you share can help keep your loved ones safe, and healthy.”

The Public Service Announcement is available here.

To file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General, click here.

Additional information about what you can do to protect yourself, avoid fraud, or file a complaint during this time is available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation at https://www.fbi.gov/coronavirus.

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