Check4Spam, founded by Bal Krishn Birla and Shammas Oliyath, debunks these internet rumours, one post at a time.

“We have a few things in common—we are techies, share a love for music (the two have worked together on music projects) and are invested in social causes," says Bal Krishn. “I take care of the tech issues while Shammas does most of the hard work. Fake news has great impact, particularly among older people who aren’t always as tech savvy. We receive these posts and verify whether they are in fact true.”Users can share their concerns via WhatsApp, the duo researches it and responds to the queries.
Check4Spam receives over 100 messages per day, and puts up an average of 2 to 3 debunking posts on its website daily.

“Many of the queries sent to us by people are stories we have already covered before. I usually let them know about the story,” Shammas says. “For the rest, I use my lunch break—and nights—to research and post them on the website. Picture-based stories and information can fill up many pages of Google - I have sometimes checked over 40 pages of search results before I found the facts.”The duo also gets in touch with families, corporations and anyone involved with the circulated stories for fail-safe checks.
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A bewildering variety of rumours and false stories abound on the Internet, waiting for people to lap them up. Bal Krishn says, “Some posts are meant to malign people or have some purpose, but we find that many fake posts in India are only meant to create nuisance.” Shammas finds a great deal of propaganda posts doing the rounds. “Some time earlier, news began doing the rounds that Mumbai’s forthcoming Shivaji statue will be made of solar cells. The post was beautifully written and very convincing. We found that it was just a hoax to counter the criticism the statue’s erection had been receiving.” A nationalist angle makes people very susceptible to such posts. Bal Krishn recalls a post that even fooled him. “A post declared that Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged on February 14, Valentine’s Day. Even I have probably shared it at some point,” he says. “But this time, we researched and discovered they were hanged in March. Now we have a post about it on the website.”
Check4Spam is a self-funded project. While Bal Krishn manages tech, Shammas handles the research.

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Developed between full-time ventures and a plethora of commitment, Check4Spam is a labour of love. As Bal Krishn says, “We love doing this. When we now find people themselves checking and pointing out spam posts, we feel great.” Send posts for verification, and volunteer queries, to Check4Spam via WhatsApp on +91 90350 67726.