“The Echo Chamber Effect” How Disinformation, False Information, and Fraud Shape Our Reality
Introduction
As someone who has navigated the worlds of military intelligence and diplomatic security, I’ve seen firsthand how information, or the lack thereof, can dictate outcomes.
But in today’s interconnected world, the battle for truth is no longer confined to state actors or classified briefings. It’s happening in our homes, on our phones, and within our social media feeds.
We are constantly exposed to a phenomenon called disinformation: intentionally false information, crafted and spread to deceive, mislead, and ultimately manipulate.
This manipulation often leads to fraud, causing real-world harm, regardless of age or background.
When Lies Shaped Empires
The idea of using false information to gain an advantage is far from new.
History is replete with examples of powerful figures and entities employing disinformation to sway public opinion, undermine rivals, and secure dominance.
- “Great Moon Hoax”
They assert that they possess the ability to affect an individual’s emotions or reconcile with a romantic relationship.
- “German Corpse Factory”
During wartime, disinformation becomes a potent weapon.
In World War I, the infamous “German Corpse Factory” rumor circulated, alleging that Germans were boiling down the bodies of their soldiers for fat.
This grotesque fabrication, spread by British propaganda, aimed to demonize the enemy and rally public support.
- Cold War Propaganda
Fast forward to the Cold War, where both the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in sophisticated propaganda campaigns to discredit each other’s ideologies.
These weren’t just about sharing information.
They were about crafting narratives, twisting facts, and sowing doubt to erode trust and influence global perceptions.
These historical instances demonstrate a crucial point:
Disinformation has always preyed on emotions, biases, and a lack of readily available verifiable information.
What has changed, however, is the speed and scale at which these false narratives can now spread.
Social Media—A Double-Edged Sword
Today we are witnessing the rapid development and expansion of social media. However, the emergence of social media platforms has presented both advantages and disadvantages.
While they offer unprecedented opportunities for connection and information sharing, they have also become fertile ground for the rapid and widespread dissemination of disinformation.
The very architecture of these platforms—algorithms designed to maximize engagement, the ease of sharing, and the tendency for “echo chambers” to form—inadvertently aids the spread of falsehoods.
How does this happen?
Social media algorithms display content that you are most likely to interact with. You probably know that the algorithm will show you more emotionally charged or sensational content, regardless of its accuracy.
Such behaviors can create a “filter bubble” or “echo chamber” where you are primarily exposed to information that confirms your existing beliefs, making it harder to discern truth from fiction.
These echo chambers are not just digital environments — they are psychological traps. The more we hear the same viewpoints, the more they start to feel like absolute truths. Emotion replaces reason, validation replaces reflection, and repetition begins to feel like reality.
What is available to us today is ease of sharing. With a single click, a piece of content can be shared with thousands, or even millions, of people.
This instant virality means that a false story can spread globally before fact-checkers even begin their work.
The relative anonymity offered by online platforms allows malicious actors to create fake accounts or use automated “bots” to amplify disinformation.
These networks can flood the internet with a specific message, creating a false sense of consensus or public opinion.
Disinformation thrives on strong emotions: fear, anger, outrage, and excitement. False stories are often crafted to provoke an immediate emotional response, bypassing rational thought and encouraging impulsive sharing, and this is our reality today.
COVID-19 and Health Misinformation
Perhaps no recent event better illustrates the devastating impact of disinformation on a global scale than the COVID-19 pandemic.
On social media, false information about the virus’s origins, transmission, and particularly its treatments and vaccines quickly spread.
Elderly individuals, seeking information and perhaps more susceptible to online scams, were targeted with fraudulent cures or “miracle treatments” for COVID-19, often leading to financial losses and, in some cases, severe health consequences from ingesting harmful substances.
Younger individuals, exposed to “influencers” promoting anti-vaccine rhetoric or unproven remedies on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, sometimes developed vaccine hesitancy or adopted dangerous health practices based on sensationalized and unverified claims.
This illustrates that age is not the sole determinant of vulnerability to disinformation and subsequent fraud.
It’s about exposure, critical thinking skills, and the persuasive power of the source.
Deception at Scale and Sophistication
The emergence of artificial intelligence is undoubtedly the most significant game-changer in the realm of information warfare.
Artificial intelligence’s capacity to process and analyze vast quantities of data at unprecedented speeds, identify patterns, and even generate human-like content is transforming every aspect of this struggle.
Artificial intelligence can rapidly generate vast quantities of text, articles, and social media posts that sound human-written.
This enables disinformation campaigns to scale up dramatically, overwhelming legitimate information with a flood of fabricated content.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze an individual’s online behavior, demographics, and even psychological profiles to tailor disinformation messages precisely to their vulnerabilities and biases.
This makes the false information far more convincing and effective.
For intelligence agencies, artificial intelligence offers powerful tools for enhancing situational awareness and decision-making.
AI-powered algorithms can sift through mountains of satellite imagery, real-time signals intelligence, and open-source information to detect anomalies, predict adversary movements, and highlight critical insights that would be impossible for human analysts alone.
It significantly strengthens our ability to control the movement of information to our decision-makers, ensuring they have the most accurate and timely intelligence.
However, the offensive potential of AI in information warfare is equally, if not more, alarming.
I’ve spent years interrogating spies, analyzing threats, and identifying manipulation. Let me be clear: disinformation isn’t just “some people lying online.” It’s a weapon — quiet, persistent, and devastating.
And once someone accepts a lie, tearing it down becomes nearly impossible.
That’s why prevention matters more than correction.
You don’t fight fire with facts after the blaze — you build walls before it starts.
Disinformation leads to fraud
Fraud and disinformation often coexist.
The false information serves as the psychological groundwork, creating a deceptive reality that encourages victims to take actions they otherwise wouldn’t, actions that ultimately lead to financial loss or other forms of harm.
Phishing Scams
Disinformation campaigns can create a sense of urgency or fear that makes people more likely to fall for phishing scams.
For example, a fake news story about an impending financial crisis might prompt people to click on a fraudulent link disguised as a bank update, leading them to hand over their login credentials.
Romance Scams
While not always direct disinformation, romance scams often involve the creation of elaborate false identities and narratives designed to elicit emotional attachment and trust, ultimately leading to financial exploitation. The “love bombing” and carefully constructed lies are a form of interpersonal disinformation.
Product or Service Fraud
Disinformation can also promote fake products or services. Online reviews, often generated by AI or paid actors, can create a false sense of legitimacy for a non-existent or harmful product.
This can lead to consumers purchasing items that never arrive, are not as described, or are even dangerous. This impacts individuals of all ages who shop online.
Building Resilience: Our Collective Responsibility
As someone who has focused on intelligence and security, I understand that the battle against disinformation and fraud requires a multi-faceted approach.
It’s not just about what governments or tech companies do; it’s about cultivating individual resilience.
The most powerful tool against disinformation is a sceptical mind.
Don’t rely on just one source. Cross-reference information with multiple reputable news organizations, fact-checking websites, and official sources.
If a claim seems extraordinary, it demands extraordinary proof.
Disinformation often plays on our fears, anger, or biases. If a post triggers an intense emotional reaction, take a moment to step back and analyse the content rationally before reacting or sharing.
Be extremely cautious about sharing personal or financial information online, especially in response to unsolicited messages, calls, or emails.
Remember that legitimate organizations will rarely ask for sensitive details via unsecure channels.
Most importantly, don’t let convenience replace curiosity. Take time to think before you click, before you share, before you believe.
The Digital Battlefield Is Real.
Disinformation is more than just “fake news.”
It is a calculated, intentional effort to deceive, with real and often devastating consequences in the form of fraud.
While its roots are ancient, its modern manifestation, amplified by social media and supercharged by artificial intelligence, presents an unprecedented challenge to individual well-being, public trust, and democratic processes.
As a former intelligence and security professional, I can assure you that the digital battlefield is as real as any physical one.
By understanding the tactics of disinformation and adopting a proactive, critical approach to the information we consume, we can collectively build resilience against these deceptive forces, protect ourselves from fraud, and safeguard the integrity of our shared reality.
The fight for truth begins with each of us.
This post was written by Mario Bekes