Good explanation. I’m a newbie too, so we have to be be careful. Another tip would be to Google search the subject. If it’s true at least one MSM site did a story on it too.
A good example is a story that made Pittsburgh's WPGB morning show, Quinn and Rose, as well as other conservative programs.
It claimed Nancy Pelosi was Miss Lube Rack in 1955 and even included a picture. With just a little thought it should be obvious that she would have been too young to have been the girl in the picture.
Never the less it made many shows and even got a thread on FR.
We did debunk it but some people really fell for it.