Home Blog Page 91

Phishing scams continue to circulate over Nigerian govt’s ₦8,000 palliative

Muhammad Saminu Muhammad
-
0
Phishing scams continue to circulate over Nigerian govt’s ₦8,000 palliative

A WhatsApp post is circulating online with a claim that the Nigerian government has directed members of the public to register on a particular website to access ₦8,000 as monthly palliative it promised the populace in July, 2023.

The post is going viral following the hardship Nigerians are facing over rising cost of living and inflation in the country.

The post, retrieved from a WhatsApp group, read:

The President has approved the payment of ₦8,000 to 12 million families over a period of six months to help cushion the economic hardship being faced by all Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy.

The President said:-This would have a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals and the money will enable poor and vulnerable Nigerians cope with the cost of meeting basic needs.

Eligiblity:

-All Nigerian Citizens can apply for the ₦8,000 Monthly Palliative digital transfers

-Application has began and citizens that have applied have started recieving their ₦8,000 payments_

-ONLY NIGERIAN CITIZENS CAN APPLY

APPLY HERE:

https://have-it.click/Monthly-Palliative

It will be recalled that the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had on July 13, 2023 promised to transfer the sum of ₦8,000 monthly to 12 million poor and low-income households for six months. The news was reported by several credible media platforms in the country such as The Cable, Channels TV, and Premium Times among others etc.

 

CLAIM

Nigerians can apply for the ₦8,000 monthly palliative digital transfers.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by this reporter show that the claim is FALSE.

This reporter observed that the website shared alongside the post has features synonymous with multiple phishing websites earlier debunked by The FactCheckHub on similar palliative supports, as seen here, here and here.

News reports indicated that the organised labour and some economists had in July faulted the plan by the Federal Government to transfer ₦8,000 into the accounts of 12 million vulnerable and poor Nigerians over the next six months to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol.

Consequently, President Tinubu bowed to pressure few days after and ordered the review of the ₦8,000 palliative, Channels TV reported.

On October 1, 2023, the Nigerian Presidency announced the disbursement of ₦35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid federal workers for six months.

Media reports show that workers had only received a one-month payment that was meant for September, adding that only a few workers had been paid for the second time since the announcement.

In conclusion, aside the ₦35,000 approved by President Tinubu for federal workers, there is no ₦8,000 monthly for all Nigerians as palliative.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Nigerians can apply for the ₦8,000 monthly palliative digital transfers is FALSE; as the Nigerian government has reviewed its palliative programmes for Nigerians and later announced the disbursement of ₦35,000 provisional wage award for federal workers.

 

* This fact-check was written by Muhammad Saminu Muhammad, a fellow of the ICIR’s Countering Misinformation and Promoting Media Literacy project, supported by the German Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

False claim that Nigerian govt bans ‘Ghana must go’ bags at all airports circulates online

Nurudeen Akewushola
-
0
False claim that Nigerian govt bans ‘Ghana must go’ bags at all airports circulates online

ON December 1, 2023, several Nigerian media platforms reported that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had instituted a ban on the use of travel sacks, popularly known as ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags, by passengers at all airports across the nation.

This followed a circular allegedly issued by FAAN titled ‘Re: Prohibition of Usage Of Ghana Must Go,’ dated November 24 and reportedly signed by Henok Gizachew, the Manager of Airport Services.

Ghana-must-go bags are popular sac-like load carriers in Nigeria that come in different sizes and colours and are preferred by many travellers due to their durability and affordability.

According to the new reports, passengers were advised to forfeit its usage and instead, use cartons or something related to it to pack items for travelling. 

Several  media platforms including Arise News, Vanguard and BusinessDay newspapers misreported the statement as issuance of general issuance on the use of the bag in all airports across Nigeria.

Other news platforms have deleted the report from their websites; and due to its virality, we present the true story in this report for record. 

 

THE CLAIM 

FG bans ‘Ghana must go’ bags in all Nigerian airports.

 

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE. 

Contrary to what is being reported in some sections of the media, Ethiopian Airlines is the only organisation that imposes this regulation on its passengers; the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has not issued a mandate prohibiting “Ghana-must-go” baggage.

Screenshot of the media report published by BusinessDay in Nigeria. INSERT: False verdict.
Screenshot of the media report published by BusinessDay in Nigeria. INSERT: False verdict.

According to an accurate news report by The Punch, Ethiopian Airlines on November 24, 2023 sent a letter to the Regional Manager of FAAN expressly notifying them that passengers boarding Ethiopian Airlines flights from Nigeria will not be allowed to bring “Ghana-must-go” bags.

This restriction does not apply to other airlines that operate in Nigeria; it only affects passengers travelling on Ethiopian Airlines.

Meanwhile, the FAAN has clarified, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), that the directive was from Ethiopian Airlines and not the Nigerian government.

The agency also shared the original notice from the Ethiopian Airlines addressed to her “valued passengers”.

The statement read, “We would like to inform you of a restriction regarding the usage of irregularly shaped packages on Ethiopian Airlines flights. It is strictly prohibited to bring “Ghana must go” bags unless they are adequately packed in a carton or hardcover rectangular container.

“This restriction has been implemented due to the frequent occurrence of damages to conveyor belts at various airports, resulting in significant costs incurred by the airlines involved.

“We kindly request your cooperation in complying with this rule to ensure the smooth operation of our flights and to minimize any potential disruptions caused by damaged conveyor belts.”

THE VERDICT

The claim that the Nigerian government banned the use of the “Ghana Must Go” bags in all airports is FALSE; findings show that the directive is restricted to passengers of Ethiopian Airlines only.

Are HIV+ persons barred from migrating to Canada, Australia or UAE?

Amadin Ogbewe
-
0
Are HIV+ persons barred from migrating to Canada, Australia or UAE?

There have been arguments on the X app after a post, warning against the harms of the HIV disease, stated that being positive could prevent one from emigrating to countries like Canada, Australia or the United Arab Emirates.

An X (formerly Twitter) user with the handle @YarKafanchan (Ndi Kato – Mama Lawyer) published the now deleted, screenshot below, on November 4, 2023.

Her post read: “HIV is a very costly disease. One thing no one tells you is how limiting it is. For example, if you have HIV you can’t japa to Canada or Australia or even the UAE (UAE doesn’t even want you as a visitor); their doors are shut against you. Be very careful out there. Use protection.”

She explained further that these countries are seeking to avoid overburdening their healthcare system, hence the need to allegedly reject HIV positive persons.

Screenshot showing reactions on the viral X post before it was deleted.

The issue in discourse elicited several arguments and counter-arguments from multiple online users.

The tweet reached thousands of people and garnered hundreds of likes and retweets before it was deleted.

 

What Is HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection drug equipment. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

Anyone living with HIV are often referred to as HIV positive (HIV+) patient or carrier.

 

CLAIM

HIV positive persons will not be allowed to emigrate to Canada, Australia or the United Arab Emirates.

Screenshot showing the now-deleted viral X post by Ndi Kato – Mama Lawyer.

 

THE FINDINGS

CLAIM 1: Are HIV positive people barred from emigrating to Canada?

According to the official website for Canada (Canada.ca), one is required to undergo medical examinations before emigration and also provide any medical reports or test results that you have for any previous or existing medical conditions. The website however discloses that one will not be deemed medically inadmissible if they do not meet the following criteria:

  • Danger to public health
  • Danger to public safety.
  • Excessive demand on health or social services

The last of these criteria was the primary reason for denial of HIV positive persons entry in the past but a public policy by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which took effect on June 1, 2018, effectively raised the excessive demand cost threshold (that is, the maximum cost one’s condition could place on Canada’s health and social services) to three times the national average thereby raising the bar which currently stands at $128,445 over 5 years (or $25,689 per year) as seen here.

This means that HIV positive persons whose estimated cost of treatment was about $15,000 in 2018, according to a publication on the National Library of Medicine website with no recorded significant increase in cost since then falls under the excessive demand cost threshold and is not medically inadmissible to Canada.

Furthermore, under the heading ‘Procedure for applicants who test positive for HIV,’ the website states,  “HIV positivity does not make a client inadmissible due to public health concern. In some cases, it may lead to inadmissibility if their healthcare costs would exceed the excessive demand threshold.”

THE VERDICT

The claim that HIV positive persons are barred from emigrating to Canada is MOSTLY FALSE, except in cases where their healthcare costs exceed the excessive demand cost threshold of $25,689 per year.

 

CLAIM 2: Are HIV positive people barred from emigrating to Australia?

The official website of the Australian government’s Department of Home Affairs states that HIV tests are required for persons over 15 years old seeking permanent visas.

It also stated that, “We will not grant you a visa if you do not meet the health requirement because your condition is likely to be a significant cost, unless a health waiver is available and exercised. We regard costs of AUD 51,000 or more to be significant.”

This figure usually covers a period of about 5 years, hence the average amount per year would be at least AUD 10,200.

Meanwhile, according to the Australian government’s Department of Health and Aged Care, treating HIV could cost more than AUD 8,500 per year but with a concession card it will cost AUD 6.60, both figures are below the AUD 10,200 cost mark.

While this is the stipulated limit, Australia provides for the opportunity for a health waiver which takes into considerations one’s ability to lessen the cost of treatment on public healthcare services and also certain compassionate or compelling situations relating to your health condition.

THE VERDICT

The claim that people living with HIV are barred from emigrating to Australia is MOSTLY FALSE.

 

CLAIM 3: Are HIV+ persons barred from emigrating to UAE?

The official website of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), categorically states that granting visas for residency or work is dependent on one being free from HIV and other diseases or conditions like hepatitis and tuberculosis.

THE VERDICT

The claim that people living with HIV are barred from emigrating to the UAE is TRUE.

 

* This fact-check was written by Amadin Ogbewe, a fellow of the ICIR’s Countering Misinformation and Promoting Media Literacy project, supported by the German Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

No! Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is not recruiting

Adisa-Jaji Azeez
-
0
No! Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is not recruiting

A sponsored post on Facebook Story circulating online claims that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is currently recruiting.

The post, published alongside a graphic on November 14, 2023 by a Facebook user, Janzakitv, directs people to submit job applications through an online link. The graphic contains the FAAN’s logo.

The texts of the post read: Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) 2023/2024 recruitment.

The post had the ‘Sponsored’ tag on Facebook Story indicating that it was paid for, allegedly to reach a wider audience.

The post has garnered over 1,000 Likes, about 450 comments and 87 shares as of Friday, December 1, 2023.

Another version of the post was also shared by another Facebook user, named “Above Connect,” as seen here. This has also has over 300 likes, more than 200 comments and 34 shares as of Friday.

 

CLAIM

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is recruiting for 2023/2024.

 

THE FINDINGS

Checks by this reporter show that the claim is FALSE.

In a post on its official X handle: @FAAN_Official, the FAAN debunked the claim.

The post reads:

“The attention of the Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has been drawn to the information circulating on social media that FAAN is recruiting and requesting people to apply online. The Authority uses this medium to reiterate that FAAN is neither recruiting directly presently nor has the Authority contracted anyone to carry out recruitment exercise on her behalf.

“The public is herewith advised to be wary of such counterfeit recruitment websites and desist from patronising them to avoid being scammed.

“FAAN…Committed to her core values…
Safety! Security!! Comfort!!!
Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua
Director PA&CP”

Screenshot of the phishing website advertising the FAAN recruitment. INSERT: False verdict.

Also, when this reporter examined the web links closely, it shows that the domain names share features synonymous with the majority of phishing websites that The FactCheckHub had reported previously.

When the links on both Facebook posts were clicked, it direct users to these phishing links archived here and here respectively.

The FactCheckHub has, over the year, debunked multiple phishing claims as seen here, here and here. You can learn more about how to identify phishing scams and websites on our tutorial page.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is recruiting is FALSE; the airport authority debunked the claim.

 

* This fact-check was written by Adisa-Jaji Azeez, a fellow of the ICIR’s Countering Misinformation and Promoting Media Literacy project, supported by the German Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

No! Paxful is not hiring for customer service representative position in Canada

Mercy Adeola Ojo-Ehinmodu
-
0
No! Paxful is not hiring for customer service representative position in Canada

A LinkedIn post that says Paxful is hiring for the position of Customer Service Representative in Canada with $18-35 per hour salary has been circulating widely in Nigeria.

The post, published by one Amina Yusuf on LinkedIn on October 25, 2023, is attracting engagement online especially from job seekers on the social media platform.

This is trending following the growth of remote works necessitated by technology development in today’s  digital world, which enable individuals to ‘work from home.’

LinkedIn, a business and job-focused social media platform that works through websites and mobile applications, was founded in 2002 but officially launched on May 5, 2003. It has been acquired and now wholly owned by Microsoft since December 2016.

The platform, primarily used for professional networking and career development, allows job seekers to post their CVs and employers to post job offers.

However, it appears to be getting infiltrated gradually by individuals who aim at deceiving unsuspecting job seekers with employment scams.

Paxful is a peer-to-peer marketplace for cryptocurrency transactions with over 1.5 million users in Nigeria, though it initially shut down operations in the country in April 2023. It was founded by Artur Schaback and Ray Youssef and connects buyers and sellers of Bitcoins globally.

 

CLAIM

Paxful is hiring for the position of Customer Service Representative in Canada with $18-35 per hour salary.

 

THE FINDINGS

Checks show that the claim is FALSE, as this is an employment scam.

A critical look at the career page of the company’s official website revealed that the company currently does not have any vacancy position advertised. This was also evident on its verified X handle, Facebook and Instagram account: @paxful.

It will be recalled that the LinkedIn post by Aminat Yusuf had asked interested candidates to comment Yes on the post; and for individuals who commented, they were asked to send their names, email and location.

The post had claimed that Paxful is hiring for the position of Customer Service Representative in Canada for a Full Time Position with an Interview Schedule Online.

Meanwhile, on Paxful’s website, a blog post on how to get start a career with them listed their 7 hiring steps to follow thus:

Looking to join the peer-to- peer finance revolution, here’s how our hiring process works:

Mutual Fit: we aim for an ideal fit on both sides through several conversations during the hiring process. We’re looking for talented candidates, but we want you to be confident that Paxful is the right place for you too.

Submit Application: see a role at Paxful that suits you? Submit an application and tell us why you’d be a great addition to the team.

Let’ chat: if your application stands out, we’ll call you to learn more about you and your career history.

Initial Interview: tell us how your skills and experience can help our mission.

Task Assignment: time to show us what you can do.

Second Interview: you’re almost there! You’ll meet peers and department leaders to make sure it’s a good fit.

Offer and contract: welcome to the Paxful family.”

It, however, does not have any clickable link for submission of applications.

Also, Aminat Yusuf’s LinkedIn account has only 84 connections with 95 followers and the Paxful job happens to be the only post she has ever made on her page. In fact, her profile does not suggests she works with Paxful.

However, one Jesse Ugwunwa, who also commented on Aminat’s post on LinkedIn described the job offer as a scam.

The FactCheckHub recalls that Paxful has, over a year ago, cautioned individuals seeking to build career in the company to beware of fake job offers, as several fake websites had been created in its brand name.

Screenshot of the LinkedIn post by Paxful cautioning job seekers.

In its LinkedIn post, the company stated that: “It has come to our attention that scammers are impersonating Paxful employees using the @paxfulcareers.com domain address. Please note that this is not the legitimate domain address for Paxful. Our domain name is www.paxful.com. Our website lists the current openings of the company. If you have any questions as to whether an employment offer from Paxful is legitimate, please contact us directly at people@paxful.com.’’

Paxful, in a blog post published on its official website in December 2020, enlightens readers about the increasing Bitcoins phishing attacks and how to protect themselves against such.

The FactCheckHub has, over the year, debunked multiple phishing claims as seen here, here and here. You can also learn more about how to identify phishing scams and websites on our tutorial page.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Paxful is hiring for the position of Customer Service Representative in Canada is FALSE; findings show that it is an employment scam.

 

* This fact-check was written by Mercy Adeola Ojo-Ehinmodu, a fellow of the ICIR’s Countering Misinformation and Promoting Media Literacy project, supported by the German Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

X removed from Australian misinformation’s code following breach

Fatimah Quadri
-
0
X removed from Australian misinformation’s code following breach

AFTER neglecting to address a grievance regarding the closure of channels for users to submit false information during the voice-to-parliament referendum, X (formerly Twitter), has been expelled from Australia’s voluntary misinformation and disinformation code.

The disinformation and misinformation independent complaints sub-committee of the industry association, the Digital Industry Group (Digi), declared on Monday 27, November 2023  in a statement that X had ‘committed a serious breach of the code and has refused to cooperate with Digi.’

Early in October, Reset Australia, a platform critic organization, protested to Digi about X withdrawing a feature that had been in existence since 2021 which allows users to submit tweets as misinformation or disinformation for X staff to look into. According to Reset Australia, disabling the feature was against the misinformation code.

The statement highlighted that on November 13, 2023 the sub-committee alongside Digi, Reset, and X were due to convene via Zoom to discuss the complaint. However, a relevant X staff member withdrew from the meeting two hours prior, citing health issues. Although the X corporation said it will submit defense documents, such documents were never sent in.

A list of questions was also forwarded to X, who had until November 21st to reply, however X did not. Since then, X has not replied to multiple attempts from the sub-committee, Digi, or Reset for feedback.

“Refusal to engage in any way with the process was disappointing and irresponsible and X’s signatory status to the code has been removed,” said the Digi sub-committee.

Alice Dawkins, Reset’s executive director, stated in the statement that the news of X’s removal from the code was not cause for celebration.

“It represents a breakdown in engagement; we urgently need legislation in Australia that empowers timely and impactful regulatory action when tech companies fail on their promises,” Dawkins said.

Under the Morrison government, the industry created the voluntary code. The participants, which include Meta, Google, and Microsoft, are obligated to report annually on how they have addressed misinformation and disinformation in addition to requiring mechanisms for consumers to report suspected misinformation and disinformation.

In May 2023, Musk removed X from Europe’s voluntary industry code; nevertheless, in June, he pledged to abide by the Digital Service Act’s disinformation-fighting regulations, which went into force in August 2023. Should it not comply, the corporation faces sanctions equivalent to 6% of its revenue or a complete ban from the EU.

The Australian government said earlier in November 2023 that, in order to allow for revisions, legislation granting the Australian Communications and Media Authority the authority to sanction businesses for violating their misinformation and disinformation policies would not go into effect until early 2024. Along with a campaign against the measure from the Coalition and One Nation, the proposed legislation had encountered substantial opposition from a variety of legal professionals, human rights organizations, and others.

Claim that bandits were chasing police officers in Kaduna is MISLEADING!

Fatimah Quadri
-
0
Claim that bandits were chasing police officers in Kaduna is MISLEADING!

An X user, Nkirukamma (@SabinaNkiru), posted a video on the app alongside a claim that police officers were being chased by bandits in Kaduna state.

The caption reads: “This Country is finished. Look at Bandits pursuing police in broad daylight. This happened in Kaduna yesterday.”

Seems the one minute, nineteen seconds footage was taken from the top of a storey building, as a host of people could be seen running towards a particular direction where some police officers were also sighted.

The police officers were also running ahead with their vans in sight as gunshots rented the air while human conversations in Hausa language could be heard in the footage.

Since the post surfaced online on Monday, November 20 2023, it has garnered over 160,000 views, more than 800 repost, over 700 likes and about 200 comments as of November 29.

The same video was also posted by Facebook user named, George Udom, on Tuesday November 21, 2023. It has been viewed by over 500 persons since then.

 

CLAIM

Video shows bandits chasing police officers in broad daylight.

Screenshot of the claim; Insert, Misleading verdict
Screenshot of the video posted on X by @SabinaNkiru. INSERT: Misleading verdict.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

The people running in the video are not bandits as claimed by the poster; rather, they are members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shi’ites.

The footage was from a protest demonstration by the Shi’ites as a pledge of their support for Palestine in the ongoing Gaza – Israeli war.

The Punch had reported on November 16, 2023 that the protest had ensued in a tussle with security operatives as the protesters were throwing stones and pebbles indiscriminately while the police officers were forced to disperse the protesters with bullets.

Mansir Hassan, the spokesperson for the Kaduna Police Command, also confirmed the incident that took place on Muhammadu Buhari Way, formerly WAFF Road that led to the death of a civilian. He attributed the circumstances to the sect.

“The movement came out today, Thursday 16, November 2023, knowing full well the ban on public procession in the state. They intended to disrupt social and economic activities in the state. They blocked the major roads in the metropolis, preventing innocent and law-abiding citizens from carrying out their daily businesses.

“Our operatives(police), in the process of dispersing them, were pelted with stones and other dangerous objects such as catapults and in the process, one innocent civilian by the name Aliyu Sani (40 years old) was hit and he died,” Hassan said.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the footage shows bandits chasing police officers in broad daylight is MISLEADING; findings revealed that the people in the video were not bandits but members of the Shi’ites Islamic sect as the police were trying to disperse them during a protest in Kaduna on November 16, 2023.

X, misinformation accounts profit from misleading posts about Israel-Hamas war – Report

Nurudeen Akewushola
-
0
X, misinformation accounts profit from misleading posts about Israel-Hamas war – Report

A study by NewGuard has revealed that programmatic advertisements for dozens of major brands, governments, educational institutions and non-profits are being displayed in X feeds directly below viral posts advancing false or misleading claims about the Israel-Hamas war.

The report covers the period from Nov. 13 to Nov. 22, 2023, and was conducted using 30 viral tweets which have collectively reached 92 million viewers and were posted by ten identified super-spreaders of misinformation on the platform.

It highlighted a troubling alliance between major advertisers, governments, nonprofits, and misinformation super-spreaders on X (formerly Twitter), noting the urgent need for increased transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations in the digital advertising ecosystem.

According to the report, these tweets propagated significant falsehoods, including the assertion that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel was a “false flag” and that CNN staged footage of an October 2023 rocket attack on a news crew in Israel.

Disturbingly, NewsGuard found that ads from major brands like Pizza Hut, Airbnb, Microsoft, Paramount, and Oracle appeared on posts both with and without fact-check Community Notes, indicating that some of these advertisers may have unknowingly supported misinformation.

In total, 200 ads from 86 major brands, nonprofits, educational institutions, and governments were identified in the feeds below 24 of the 30 misleading tweets. Notably, this discovery follows the withdrawal of ads by Apple, Disney, and IBM from X after owner Elon Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on the platform. 

In response to the report, Musk vaguely stated that X Corp would be donating revenue associated with the war in Gaza to hospitals in Israel and the Red Cross/Crescent in Gaza, without providing clarity on the extent or nature of this commitment.

Part of the report reads, “On Oct. 29, 2023, X owner Elon Musk said that commentators whose posts had been flagged by Community Notes would not be eligible to make money from ad dollars on that particular post.

Nonetheless, NewsGuard found ads for 70 unique major organizations on 14 of the 15 tweets advancing war-related misinformation that did not feature a Community Note fact-check. This means that some of X’s worst purveyors of war-related misinformation would likely have been entitled to ad dollars from major organizations.

“For example, NewsGuard found 22 ads for major organizations on three tweets posted by Jackson Hinkle advancing false claims about the war that did not feature a Community Note. Hinkle is a commentator who describes himself as an “American Conservative Marxist-Leninist” and has spread dozens of false and misleading claims about the war, NewsGuard stated. 

“Ads for Oracle, Pizza Hut, and Anker, among others, were shown to NewsGuard analysts below a tweet posted by Hinkle on Oct. 12, 2023, that advanced the false claim that Daily Wire podcast host Ben Shapiro used artificial intelligence to generate an image of a child killed by Hamas. Hinkle’s tweet received 22 million views as of November 20. Again, it is in the nature of programmatic advertising that brands are unaware of where their ads are appearing and whom their ads are supporting.”

The analysis also exposes the indirect funding of the misinformation machine by governments and nonprofits. Of the 200 ads identified, 26 were from government-affiliated organizations, including the FBI. 

Nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, such as the Clean Air Action Fund and the University of Baltimore, were found advertising on tweets spreading misinformation about the war. 

Phishing scam circulates that MTN is offering free airtime, data for subscribers across Africa

Habeeb Daranijo
-
2
Phishing scam circulates that MTN is offering free airtime, data for subscribers across Africa

A claim that MTN is rewarding its users with free airtime and data for reaching a milestone of 250 million subscribers across Africa has circulated online.

The claim read: “Are you using MTN? Check if you’re eligible to get MTN N10,000 AIRTIME AND 5GB DATA, celebrating 250 million subscribers in Africa. Click https://slnkz.com/Get-bonus”

The claim is circulating in multiple WhatsApp groups in Nigeria.

 

CLAIM

MTN is rewarding its users with free N10,000 airtime and 5GB data to celebrate reaching a milestone of 250 million subscribers in Africa.

Screenshot of the post retrieved from a WhatsApp group. INSERT: False verdict.
Screenshot of the post retrieved from a WhatsApp group. INSERT: False verdict.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by this reporter show that the claim is FALSE, as the link directs users to a phishing website.

A click on the web link redirects you to another website: https://data.indigoe.online/m-mtn/#1700752674239, which displayed a random Facebook comment section allegedly showing people’s appreciation for receiving the free airtime and data. Thus, it makes the website look as genuine while baiting users to fill in their personal details.

After user input his/her phone numbers to claim the reward, it will ask you to forward the message to 12 groups on WhatsApp.

Screenshot of the phishing website with "fake comments."
Screenshot of the phishing website with “fake comments.”

Here’s the message it displayed after entering your phone number below:

Congratulations, you are listed to receive MTN N10,000 AIRTIME AND 5GB DATA

How to earn your cash prize?

1. To get MTN N10,000 AIRTIME AND 5GB DATA First click the green button “WHATSAPP” and send this information to 12 groups on WhatsApp!

2. After sending the message, you will go to the next step where you will be able to get the MTN N10,000 AIRTIME AND 5GB DATA Immiediately to the provided MTN Number.

When the web link was subjected to further check on WHOIS, findings show that the phishing website was created in July 2023 and domiciled in the Arizona district of the United States.

Image shows result of domain verification on Whois.com
Image shows result of domain verification on Whois.com

According to a blog post on the corporate website of the MTN Group, the telecom giant says it has 292 million subscribers in Africa and Middle East as of end of June 2023; no precise figure was given for its subscribers in Africa only.

The MTN Group is a South African multinational telecommunications company that operates in more than 20 countries and is the leading mobile operator in Africa.

Infographic shows MTN Group subscribers base by country of operation.
Infographic shows MTN Group subscribers base by country of operation.

A report published by Statista also corroborated the above number of MTN subscribers, with Nigeria, Iran and South Africa being its major markets with highest number of subscribers respectively.

However, a check on MTN handles on major social media platforms especially Facebook and X revealed there’s no related reward promo being carried out or advertised by the telecom firm.

You can learn more about how to identify phishing scams and websites here.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that MTN is giving out N10,000 in airtime and 5GB of data in celebration of its 250 million subscribers milestone is FALSE; as it is a phishing scam aimed at baiting users to reveal their personal details.

 

* This fact-check was written by Habeeb Daranijo, a fellow of the ICIR’s Countering Misinformation and Promoting Media Literacy project, supported by the German Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

Omotoso makes false claim as evidence shows Sanwo-Olu paid law firms N200m from state’s coffer

Nurudeen Akewushola
-
0
Omotoso makes false claim as evidence shows Sanwo-Olu paid law firms N200m from state’s coffer

THE Lagos state’s commissioner of Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso has claimed that the document which revealed that the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu paid four law firms N50 million each to defend him in court is not authorized by the state.

Omotoso made the claim while reacting to a claim by the Lagos gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

This follows public outcry that trailed some questionable expenditures pointed out by the governorship candidate of Action Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos, Funso Doherty, in the contracts awarded by the Lagos State Government.

Part of Omotoso’s post on X (formerly Twitter) read: “ A post on ‘X’ by Labour Party (LP) candidate Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, on November 19, 2023 alleged – without any proof whatsoever- that the Lagos State Government funded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s legal dispute after the March 18, 2023 election. This is not true. 

“The allegation was supported by a document that neither carried the logo of the Lagos State Government nor the endorsement of any of its officials. It was simply another ploy to deceive the public about a non-existent  payment ofN50,000,000 to four lawyers.”

 

CLAIM

Sanwo-Olu was accused of paying lawyers N200 million without proof. 

 

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Contrary to Omotoso’s claim, the allegation was based on the documents obtained from the Lagos State Procurement portal, a website being operated by the Lagos Procurement Agency.

The agency was established on the 2nd of April, 2012 to ensure probity, accountability and transparency in Public Procurement throughout Lagos state. The agency is also responsible for ensuring that the contracts awarded in the state follow due process. The activities of the agency are backed by the law enacted by the state’s House of Assembly. 

Like some other states which have adopted the system, the agency through its Electronic Procurement Portal also documents the list of contracts awarded by the state agency over a period of time. The goal is to bridge the gap between the agency and the public and to ensure transparency and accountability in government dealings.

According to the document uploaded in January 2023 by the agency which can be viewed here, the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu paid a sum of N50 million each to four law firms namely: Ahmed Raji and Co, Akinboro and Co, Babatunde Ogala and Co, and Femi Okunni and Co to defend him in a suit tagged: FHC/CS/1979/2022.

Screenshot of the data retrieved from the document on the Lagos state procurement agency’s website.

When our fact-checker looked up the suit number, it was found that the payment was in respect of the suit filed by the People’s Democratic Party seeking to disqualify Sanwo-Olu and other APC candidates before the March 18 governorship election in the state. The case was later dismissed in court as reported by Channels TV, The Nation and The Star newspapers in February 2023.

This contradicts the claim by Omotoso that there was no official proof showing that the governor paid N200 million to any law firm.

While reacting to the allegation, Sanwo-Olu claimed there were mistakes in the report released by the agency but he never denied that the report was from the state’s procurement agency.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim by Gbenga Omotoso that there is no evidence that Sanwo-Olu paid lawyers N200 million is FALSE; as findings show that the claim was contained in a document obtained from the website of the Lagos State Procurement Agency, a government-run agency responsible for regulating procurement activities in the state.

1...909192...174Page 91 of 174