Relevance. The article is devoted to studying the role and extent of the spread of fakes in modern society. They are interpreted as a threat to the security of the information space. In addition, the focus of the study is on the practices of identifying this kind of destructive content, considered at the legal, contextual and technological levels. Scientific problem. Countering false information seems important in the context of military and information confrontation between Russia and the collective West. It is emphasized that the consequences of the influence of fakes on individuals can be prolonged over time, largely mediated by their development of critical thinking and information hygiene. Methods. The empirical basis of this study was the results of a mass representative sociological survey conducted by the author in April-May 2024 among the population of the Republic of Mordovia (n=1,000). In addition, they were supplemented with measurement data from the Scientific Center for Socio-Economic Monitoring, carried out in the same region using a similar methodology, but with a smaller sample size (n=374). The article pays special attention to the data obtained through open-ended questions, which were codified and formed the basis for countering fake news. Research results. The results obtained during the study allow us to conclude that there is a high level of awareness of the population about fakes. This indirectly confirms the significance of their perception in the public consciousness. It was also revealed that every second person surveyed had been exposed to this kind of destructive content over the past month. At the same time, three out of ten respondents over the past year have believed false information at least once, and two out of ten shared it with their immediate circle. Information hygiene practices can be assessed as relatively undeveloped; only one in seven regularly evaluates incoming information before telling their friends, acquaintances or relatives about it. Conclusions. Based on the respondents’ experience in detecting fake news, three main techniques were identified that allow one to distinguish false information from reliable information: firstly, it is necessary to evaluate the source where this or that content was posted – is it authoritative and of high quality; secondly, it is necessary to search for it in other sources, primarily official ones – if this is not stated anywhere, then there is a high probability that the information received is unreliable; thirdly, it is important to try to determine whether the authors publish their material in a neutral context, or are trying to evoke emotions in the audience, and in some cases, even simulate affective actions – in this case, the facts, not the presentation of the material, become fundamentally significant.