Hold up before you click, because those wild-looking posts are everywhere, and the headlines are designed to shock. Claims about shocking photos, especially viral images of Sarah Palin, have been circulating for years, but many of them are completely fake.

One of the most famous examples—the image of Palin in a star-spangled bikini holding a gun—was debunked long ago after fact-checkers confirmed her face was pasted onto another person’s body using a real parade photo from a July 4 event in Alaska. Even major TV shows were fooled, proving how fast edited images can spread when they grab attention. The truth is that the over-the-top bikini photos making the rounds today are manipulated, not real. By taking five seconds to check hairlines, lighting, neck edges, hands, jewelry, and especially warped backgrounds, you can spot most edits instantly. Slow down, look closely, and the hype fades while the facts come into focus.