SOCIAL MEDIA FLOODED WITH CORONAVIRUS-19 HOAXES

CHICAGO — On Wednesday night, I received a fear-mongering group text by a guy from the old neighborhood who is not an idiot. My pal sent a screenshot of a text that started: "Fwd: From a CPD Commander. This is Real."

Here's what it said: "I just got this report. Homeland security is preparing to mobilize the national guard. Preparing to dispatch them across the US along with military. ... They are preparing to announce a nationwide 2 week quarantine for all citizens, All businesses closed. Everyone at home. They will announce this as soon as they have troops in place to help prevent looters and rioters ... they will announce before the end of the weekend, within 48 to 72 hours the president will evoke what is called the 'Stafford Act.'"

The message inspired a series of quick replies.

"How did you get this?"

"Can't tell you, but it is from a real source."

"Yikes! This is so scary"

"Knew that was coming."

Of course, the "real" warning from a Chicago police commander was bogus, one of dozens of new coronavirus fake news conspiracies populating social media. This particular internet hoax was shot down by the White House via Twitter on Monday.

"Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus," the National Security Council tweeted.

Nobody can blame you if you don't believe every tweet coming from the White House. But, according to fact-checkers at reputable news outlets, this tweet is true.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistant Act that President Donald Trump used to declare a state of emergency during the new coronavirus pandemic clears the way for the federal government to send emergency funds to states and disaster victims.

A USA Today "fact check" of the same bogus national quarantine message posted on Facebook post by "Jasmine Morgan," allegedly a Walmart employee from South Richmond, Virginia, determined: "The specific powers granted by the Stafford Act, however, do not provide the president or the federal government the authority to order a national quarantine."

On Wednesday night, I sent my knucklehead pals alink to a story debunking the phony panic-peddling text message. At first, the geniuses didn't buy it.

"So which should we believe???" one of the guys wrote.

"Standby. I'm trying to verify," my buddy, a college-educated fellow who doesn't wear a tinfoil hat, replied.

"I know there is a hoax text going around. My friend said this one is true, but I have my doubts. It's probably a hoax, and if it is then he's an a------. He does have a brother who is a higher up in CPD though, and he said he got it from his brother."

Another buddy doubled down on siding with the bogus message. He texted a screenshot that he got from a guy at work whose "aunt works for homeland security" sent him a screenshot of a similar text warning family members to "stock up and be prepared" for a "quarantine up to 30 days."

The text cited three sources: Some guy's aunt got the text from "cuz Janet," who got it from "a friend" whose "father works in homeland security."