Singapore
The page on All Deals Hub was made to look like a Channel NewsAsia article and showed presenter Cheryl Fox endorsing a slimming product.
Image of fake Channel NewsAsia article showing presenter Cheryl Fox.
SINGAPORE: A webpage made to look like an article by Channel NewsAsia has been removed after a take-down notice was filed against its host, All Deals Hub.
The page showed news presenter Cheryl Fox apparently endorsing a slimming product in a fake interview.
The layout of the page mimicked that of an actual Channel NewsAsia online article, reproducing the broadcaster’s logo as well as many design elements of its website.
It prompted several readers to contact Channel NewsAsia asking if the article was genuine.
Fox has fronted a number of prime-time news programmes, including News 5 and Singapore Tonight, as well as current affairs series Get Real and On the Red Dot.
Her name and photograph was also used in a Facebook post by All Deals Hub that falsely claimed she had taken a “14-year hiatus” and provided a link to the fake interview.
The post was taken down after Channel NewsAsia flagged it to Facebook for impersonation.
The article was also removed after the broadcaster’s parent company, Mediacorp, filed a take-down notice against All Deals Hub.
“The website and article are fake and make false claims. Ms Fox has neither used the product or endorsed it. We do not take the abuse of the Channel NewsAsia brand and Ms Fox’s name lightly and are taking appropriate action,” Mediacorp said in a statement.
Tips to spot a fake article or website:
– Inspect the web address of the webpage and check if the domain name is spelled correctly and matches the organisation/brand represented on the website.
– Check if the website is secure by looking for a lock icon on the web address bar and an https prefix for the web address. Reputable websites are usually secure.
– Pay attention to the logos and brand names shown on the webpage and check if they look altered or have misspellings.
– If the information in the article or website looks suspicious, do a Google search on the claims or reach out to the company involved to verify if it is true.
Can you spot the differences? The genuine website has channelnewsasia.com as its domain name and a lock next to its web address to show that it is secure. The logo on the fake site is also different.
