Fact Check: Business Writer’s Name Falsely Attached to Fabricated CBC Articles

False articles mimicking the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) news style and branding have been circulating online, fraudulently using the name of a legitimate business writer to lend credibility to fabricated content.

The CBC confirmed Thursday that several articles appearing on social media and through messaging platforms were not produced by their newsroom, despite carrying the CBC logo and visual style. The fraudulent pieces prominently feature the byline of Pete Evans, an established business reporter who regularly covers financial markets and consumer affairs for the public broadcaster.

“These fabricated articles represent a concerning attempt to mislead the public and damage the credibility of legitimate journalism,” said Chuck Thompson, CBC’s head of public affairs. “We take these matters extremely seriously and are investigating all available options to address this misuse of our brand and our journalist’s identity.”

The falsified articles primarily promote questionable investment opportunities and cryptocurrency platforms, often making outlandish claims about quick returns and celebrity endorsements. Some include fabricated quotes from Canadian business leaders and politicians discussing purported investment strategies.

Evans, who has been with CBC since 2009, expressed concern about the potential damage to his professional reputation. “Having my name attached to content I never wrote, especially pieces promoting potentially harmful financial schemes, is deeply troubling,” Evans told colleagues. “These fake articles undermine the trust I’ve worked to build with readers over many years.”

Media experts note this incident reflects a growing trend of bad actors co-opting the appearance of established news organizations to spread misinformation or promote scams. The practice, sometimes called “brand spoofing,” takes advantage of the trust audiences place in familiar news sources.

“When people see a recognized news brand like CBC and a real reporter’s name, they’re more likely to believe the content without scrutiny,” said Fenwick McKelvey, associate professor of communication studies at Concordia University. “This is precisely why these tactics are so dangerous and effective.”

Digital literacy advocates recommend several strategies for identifying potentially fake news articles, including checking the URL of the website (legitimate CBC articles appear on cbc.ca domains), looking for unusual formatting or grammatical errors, and verifying stories across multiple reputable sources.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has noted an uptick in complaints related to investment scams that use fake news articles to lure victims. In 2022 alone, Canadians lost more than $530 million to fraud, with investment scams accounting for a significant portion of those losses.

CBC’s legal team is exploring options to have the fake content removed from platforms where it appears. However, the challenge of addressing misinformation online remains daunting, as content can quickly spread across multiple platforms and jurisdictions.

“Once something like this gets shared widely, it’s very difficult to completely remove it from the internet,” said Thompson. “We’re focusing both on takedown efforts and on educating our audience about how to identify legitimate CBC content.”

The public broadcaster has updated its website with guidance for readers on how to verify authentic CBC reporting and has established a dedicated email address where suspected fake articles can be reported.

This incident comes amid broader concerns about the spread of misinformation in Canada. A 2023 report from the Media Ecosystem Observatory found that 77 percent of Canadians encountered what they believed to be misinformation at least weekly, with financial and health topics being particularly common subjects.

The CBC has encouraged readers who encounter suspicious content bearing their branding to verify stories through official CBC platforms and to report potentially fraudulent content to both the broadcaster and the platforms where it appears.

“Trusted journalism is essential to a functioning democracy,” Thompson added. “We’ll continue working to protect the integrity of our reporting and the reputations of our journalists who work diligently to provide Canadians with accurate, fact-based information.”