Someone lied about you online. Do not reply yet.
Know what to do in the next 15 minutes without making it worse.
$29 · instant download · screen and print editions
A false claim about you is circulating. Your instinct is to answer it right now, in public, with the truth.
That instinct is usually wrong, and it is the most expensive mistake people make in the first hour.
This is a 15-minute decision tool. It tells you whether to respond, what to save before it disappears, who to tell, and what to do next.
What's inside
- The RESPOND / DON'T RESPOND test. Eight questions, scored, with a clear answer at the end.
- The amplification risk. How to tell who has actually seen it, instead of guessing how big it feels.
- Your four response options, and how to pick the one that fits.
- What to say without feeding the story. Ready-to-send language for your employer, your clients, your staff and a public correction.
- The evidence checklist. What to preserve, and how, before the post is deleted or edited.
- Official reporting and appeal links for the major platforms, in one place.
This is for you if
- A false claim about you is circulating and you cannot decide whether to answer it.
- Your employer, your clients or your family have seen it, or are about to.
- Everyone is telling you to ignore it, and ignoring it is not working.
Read section 1 first, free
This is the opening section in full. No sign-up, no email address. If it helps, the other nine are in the tool.
Before You Do Anything
YOUR GOAL IS NOT TO WIN AN ARGUMENT ONLINE. YOUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION.
A false social post, accusation, review, screenshot, impersonation account or rumour can trigger an immediate urge to fight back. That instinct can make the problem bigger.
1 DO NOT REPLY YET
Even if what was posted is completely false.
2 SAVE THE EVIDENCE
Capture it before it is edited, deleted, hidden or reposted.
3 CHECK THE REAL REACH
Ask who has actually seen it. Not how big it feels.
4 CHECK YOUR RISK
Safety, legal, employment, financial and fraud risk come first.
CAPTURE THESE FOUR THINGS RIGHT NOW
The complete evidence checklist is in Section 9. These four are the ones that disappear fastest.
- Screenshot of the original post, review or account
- The direct URL and the full username or account name
- Date and time, plus visible views, comments, likes and shares
- A screen recording of the account in context
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This guide provides general communications, reputation-management, platform-reporting and incident-response information. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship.
Laws vary by jurisdiction and depend on the specific facts. Nothing here substitutes for advice from a qualified legal professional who can assess your circumstances.
If you face serious allegations, threats, stalking, doxxing, extortion, fraud, intimate images, significant employment or financial consequences, potential criminal conduct or immediate danger, seek appropriate professional or emergency assistance promptly.
The other nine sections
The scored test, the four response modes, the scripts, the platform directory and the worksheet.
Instant download. Screen and print editions.