Fact-check:  Did a military coup take place in Congo-Brazzaville in September 2023?

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No, Congo-Brazzaville’s government spokesperson dismissed the claims. 

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A viral claim on various online platforms that a military coup took place in Congo-Brazzaville on September 17, 2023, is false.

The news of the alleged coup came after Congo-Brazzaville’s President, Gen. Sassou Ngueso, was reported to have travelled to the United States to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York.

In one instance, an X (formerly Twitter) user posted that there was a military coup in Congo-Brazzaville and added that the country’s president was in the United States.

“There is a military coup in Congo Brazzaville at the moment. Congo President Nguesso is reported to be in [the] US at the moment. He’s been in power for decades. LETS GO!,” reads the post.

The screenshot of the X post about the coup in Congo Brazzaville

A YouTube channel, NED Media, also uploaded a clip about an alleged coup in Congo-Brazzaville on September 17, 2023, featuring a video of soldiers walking alongside moving military vehicles on the street. The video also shows a crowd gathering at the stadium that appears to have been taken in Niger when the public was cheering the military junta that took over power in July 2023.

Additionally, on September 18, 2023, another X user posted that the coup was ongoing and the military was controlling critical facilities in the country’s capital.

“There is a military coup ongoing in Congo Brazzaville. The 79-year-old President Nguesso, who has been in power for a combined 39 years, is reported to be in the US at the moment. The military is taking over key facilities in the country’s capital. According to the preliminary report, the coup is led by the commander of the presidential guard,” the post reads.

The screenshot of the X user tweet about the coup

More posts about the coup were also shared here and here where the post alleges that the commander of Brazzaville’s presidential guard, Serge Obua instigated the coup.

The screenshot of the Facebook post claiming the military coup

Claim Verification:

Following the spread of the claim, the government of Congo-Brazzaville, through the Minister of Communication and Media, Thierry Lézin Moungalla, who also doubles as the Government Spokesperson, issued a statement (archived here) dismissing the coup as fake news.

“Fanciful information suggests serious events are taking place in Brazzaville. The government denies this fake news. We reassure public opinion about the calm that reigns and invite people to calmly go about their activities,” reads the statement published on the government’s website. 

Moungalla also refuted the news of the coup through his X account. 

A consequent keyword search on X returned media reports quoting the Brazzaville government’s spokesperson as dismissing the coup attempt claims. 

A further keyword search on Google for “Congo Brazzaville military coup news” also returned many media sources that quoted Moungalla’s statement. In one report by fact-checking organisation PesaCheck, journalists based in Congo-Brazaville also confirmed no coup on September 17, 2023. 

211 Check also deduced that when a coup happens, it does not take long before the plotters announce themselves to the public, as in the case of Niger and Gabon. 

Additionally, since September 17, 2023, when the coup attempt information started circulating on media spaces, no major announcements of the military takeover or the Brazzaville government foiling an attempted coup have occurred.

The only official statement from the government of Congo-Brazzaville is that the claims about a coup attempt are fake news. 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim that the President of Congo Brazzaville, Gen. Sassou Ngueso, was overthrown in a military coup on September 17, 2023, false.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

HOAX: This National Health Insurance Fund job advert is a scam

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The NHIF has disowned the poster and urged the public to disregard it.

Writer: PesaCheck

This poster on Facebook claiming that the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is on a recruitment drive is a HOAX.

The National Hospital Insurance Fund changed to National Health Insurance Fund after the amendment of the NHIF Act in 2022.

The advert has the branding of the parastatal and lists more than a dozen job openings which, if filled, will enable the NHIF to implement the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) effectively.

Additional information on the poster is that the positions are “on permanent & pensionable basis to help bridge the gaps between health sector and Kenyan citizen (sic).”

The vacancies are for, among others, clinicians, social workers, community health workers, accountants, nurses, surveyors, supply chain managers, laboratory technicians, secretaries, sales and marketing officers, drivers, and ICT officers.

A similar poster with a different application deadline has been shared in this Facebook publication.

Both posters require the job seekers to be holders of a degree, diploma, or certificate, be Kenyan citizens of legal age, and have experience in what is applied for, among other qualifications.

Further, the poster directs applicants to submit their CVs to a provided Gmail-prefixed address, which raises doubts about its authenticity.

Another red flag is that there is no information about the vacancies in either the Careers section of the NHIF website, on its Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram accounts.

At the time of this debunk, the NHIF had listed eight open positions and none of those in the poster is among them.

Besides, the NHIF directs job seekers to submit applications to nhif.or.ke-prefixed addresses and not Gmail.

The national health insurer, through a post on X (formerly Twitter), disowned the recruitment poster and urged the public to disregard it.

PesaCheck has examined a poster claiming that the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is hiring and found it to be a HOAX.

This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

FAKE: This screen grab, supposedly of an Equity Bank response to a customer, is fabricated

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The Kenyan financial services provider has disowned the message.

Writer: PesaCheck

This screen grab on Facebook with a message, supposedly from Equity Bank to a customer, is FAKE.

Equity Bank is one of the leading financial service providers in East Africa. In July 2016, the lender was ranked the fastest growing bank in Africa.

The message reads: “Dear costumer if you don’t trust us please withdraw your Kshs. 86.00 you have been checking balance consistently.[sic]”

But is the message authentic?

To begin with, the text has typos. This is among the red flags for social media hoaxes.

On 9 September 2023, the bank released a statement disowning the post.

“This is definitely not a notification from Equity Bank,” the lender said in response to a user on X, formerly known as Twitter.

PesaCheck investigated a screen grab on Facebook with a message, purportedly from Equity Bank to a customer, and found it to be FAKE.

This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Fact-check: Is this tiger dog from South Sudan or Uganda?

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The tiger dog picture is from India.  

Writer: Kei Emmanuel Duku

A social media picture posted on Juba Eye and Red Pepper UG that has gone viral on Facebook in South Sudan and Uganda is false. 

In the post on Juba Eye, shared on September 25, 2023, the painted dog in Tiger colours is claimed to belong to a resident in the Jebel area of Juba, South Sudan, and police are already searching for the dog’s owner. 

According to the claim, the alleged owner painted his dog in tiger colours to scare away individuals from coming to his home to ask for the loans he had borrowed. 

The post was shared 73 times, with over 1,000 interactions, over 100 comments, and some over 70 shares by social media users. 

A screenshot of the Facebook post by Juba Eye

The same picture and claim were used by RED Pepper UG on the same day, claiming that the owner of the painted dog is called Mucunguzi from Kyeggwa, and police are already searching for him for painting his dog in tiger colours. This post gained 286 likes, 43 comments, and 18 shares on this platform.

Screenshot of the Facebook post by RED Pepper UG

While the two Facebook posts are satirical, 211 Check looks at the origin of the image in the posts.

Claim Verification:  

According to Tineye’s reverse image search, the picture was taken in New Delhi, India, on December 29, 2019, and the dog’s actual owner is Srikant Gowda, a farmer from Karnataka’s Shivamogga region. 

The publication was done in Urdu, but with the help of Google Translate, it indicated that the dog’s owner decided to paint his dog in tiger colours to scare away monkeys destroying his farmland.

Similar searching was done using Google reverse image search, revealing the same results. 

BestNewsGH.com published the story in December 2019 with the headline: A Desperate farmer paints his dog like a tiger to scare away invading monkeys.

Another source that used the picture is here.

Screenshot of the same picture as published in December 2019 on BestNewsGH.com 

Conclusion: 

211 Check found that the photo that is being shared, claiming to be from Juba and Uganda, is false. The picture originated from the Indian state of Urdu and has been online since 2016..

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter

Fact-check: South Sudanese youth didn’t burn houses at the Nadapal border post last week

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Kapoeta East County Commissioner says some houses were burnt by fire that wasn’t completely put off following a honey feast by visitors in the area.

Writer: Kei Emmanuel Duku 

Video footage posted on Turkana TV, a Facebook page with over 39,000 followers, showing houses burning immigration and customs houses in Nadapal is false.

The video posted on Monday, September 18, 2023, claimed Toposa youth from South Sudan burned immigration and customs offices at the Nadapal border post between South Sudan and Kenya.

The Nadapal belt stretches 25 kilometres (16 mi) southward from the border with South Sudan to Lokichogio in Kenya. The village of Nadapal lies on the road between Narus in South Sudan and Lokichogio. The area has been the scene of violent clashes between Toposa and Turkana pastoralists, traditional rivals. 

In the video, it can be seen clearly that one of the houses is still in flames while the other two, the roof, have been raised down by the fire, but the walls remain. Also, in the video, a group of people could be heard talking in a local language, and another man dressed in a cap and shirt walking. By the time of putting this write-up, the video had gotten 3.9 Views, 22 comments, over 170 interactions and 10 shares. 

Screenshot of the Facebook post on The Turkana TV page

Claim Verification:

A day after the post was made, Eye Radio quoted the Commissioner of Kopoeta East in Eastern Equatorial State, Abdalla Angelo, who confirmed that there was “NO” fighting between the Trukana of Kenya and Toposa youths from South Sudan in the bordering town of Nadapal. 

He, however, confirmed that some youth from the Turkana tribe of Kenya came to Nadapal to do a honey feast, but they didn’t completely put off the fire they had used for harvesting the honey and, in the process, burning some houses.

No credible media reported about the incident, and a search using Google Lens showed that only Turkana TV shared the video and the news.

Alternatives towards Peace: 

The two pastoral communities have been in conflict for a long time, resulting in the loss of lives and destruction of properties, but mid-this year, officials from the Kenyan Government paid a visit to Torit, Eastern Equatoria State Capital, to find lasting solutions to the conflict 

Similarly, as a way to foster unity among the two communities, Williams S. Ruto, President of Kenya and his counterpart Slava Kiir from South Sudan agreed to implement joint Infrastructural projects along the border to facilitate trade, movement of labour and unity between the two conflict troubled communities 

Conclusion: 

211 Check found the claim in video footage posted by The Turkana TV on Facebook that South Sudanese youth burned immigration and customs houses at Nadapal false.

Kapoeta East County Commissioner says some houses were burnt by fire that wasn’t completely put off following a honey feast by visitors in the area.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter

Fact-check: This excited man standing behind a lady isn’t a University of Juba student

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The picture that originated from Nigeria has been widely shared on social media but has no connection to the University of Juba or any educational institution in South Sudan.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A photo shared in a post by the Top in South Sudan Facebook page claiming that an excited man standing behind a lady is a student at the University of Juba is entirely false.

The University of Juba is an English-language public university in Juba, South Sudan. It was founded in 1975.

“Meet Calvin Pidor at the University of Jama Juba—the happiness. #TopTRENDS.” claims Top in South Sudan’s Facebook post, which generated over 200 reactions and 17 comments at publication.

But what truth does the above claim hold?

The screenshot of the picture used by Top in South Sudan

See more pictures below:-

These pictures have been trending on social media since April 2019 

Claim Verification:

A Google reverse image search was conducted to verify the picture’s authenticity. This search revealed that the image has been widely used on the internet and has no specific association with the University of Juba or any educational institution.

The picture first appeared online in April 2019 and was reported to have been shared by a student of the University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Rivers State, Nigeria, according to Naijaload and Naijacover websites. The individuals in the picture have no reported connection to the University of Juba.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim made by the Top in South Sudan Facebook page, alleging it is the photo of a student at the University of Juba, false. The photo originated in Nigeria and has been circulating online since April 2019 without any reported connection to the University of Juba.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter

Fact-check: This video doesn’t show an African child being urinated on by a French in 2023

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The video is an old clip of artist Regina José Galindo demonstrating women’s suffering and violence. It was filmed in Brazil in 2013.

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A video clip widely shared on WhatsApp groups with the claim that a Malian citizen was arrested in a French village and humiliated by members of the public taking turns urinating on him in front of a crowd while stripped naked is false and misleading.

The text accompanying the video accused France of human rights violations and claimed that the incident happened after France’s Ambassador was expelled from Mali.

In the video, a black person lies on the ground in front of the crowd while some people take turns urinating on them.

“Let’s make this viral until the people responsible for this human rights abuse are arrested and prosecuted. This is the filth of France, the ugliest scandal of the twenty-first century. In the inhuman and shocking scene of two men and a woman urinating on an African child in one of the French villages, the child, completely stripped of clothes, lies face down on the ground, while the number of French men and women whose country have always shocked the world with the sophistication of their civilisation are watching this obscene, dirty, and abnormal act, without any sign of intervention from any of them,” reads the text accompanying the video clip.

“This was after the state of Mali expelled the French ambassador. The French arrested one of the Malians in a French village and urinated on him publicly. Africa must wake up to see the true, ugly face of France. We regret the ugliness and horror of the scene, but where are the human rights advocates in this? It is unfortunate that globally, Black Africans are associated,” it added.

The screenshot of the WhatsApp video and the accompanying text claim

The claim did not mention the location of the French village or where and when the video was taken.

However, according to a media report, France’s Ambassador to Mali, Joel Meyer, was expelled in January 2022 after the Malian military government issued a 72-hour ultimatum for him to leave the West African country.

Claim Verification:

A reverse image search on Yandex returned that the video was used on other online platforms, including a Russian website,  Pnovosti,  which published an article about the video in 2020. According to the article, a Latin American woman covered herself with coal dust and asked people passing by to urinate on her to demonstrate a woman suffering violence. 

The same claim was posted here and here.

211 Check traced the video’s origin on Yandex’s reverse image search results and found that the person in the video being urinated on is an artist called Regina Jose Galindo. The artist was filmed in 2013 during a performance in Brazil’s city of Sao Paulo to show the humiliation and exploitation women face, according to the description by an Arabic YouTube channel that posted the video in February 2022. 

A review of the video’s description reveals the link to Galindo’s website, where a picture of the artist lying on the ground was published under Works 2013. It was featured with a poetry piece dubbed Stone that states that two volunteers and someone from the audience would urinate on her ‘stone body.’

Galindo covered herself with coal dust to appear black during her performance when being filmed. There is no reference to the humiliation of a black African or a Malian citizen by the French.

Galindo’s 2013 project has also been featured here and here. 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds a video with a claim that a Malian citizen was arrested in a French village and urinated on false. The video is an old clip of artist Regina José Galindo, filmed in Brazil in 2013 while demonstrating women’s suffering and violence.  

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.


It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

Fact-check: Does eating food heated in plastic containers cause cancer?

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No, there is no sufficient evidence that eating food from plastic containers exposed to heat can cause cancer.

Writer: Beatrice Amude Paulino

An image circulating on WhatsApp claims that, according to the American Doctors Association, consuming food from plastic materials exposed to heat can cause cancer.

The message states that you should not take tea in plastic cups, eat anything hot in a plastic bag, or heat foodstuff in a microwave using plastic materials. It cautions 

that ‘when plastic gets into contact with heat, it produces chemicals which may cause 52 types of cancer.’

The message ends with a call to action: “Therefore, this SMS is better than 100 useless SMS. Inform your loved ones to be free from such effects. Share with everyone.”

Screenshot from the WhatsApp image

The same claim was also shared on a website called America’s Best Pictures and Videos, which adds that plastic materials can cause cancer cells to grow in the body.

Screenshot from the website.

Verification of the American Doctors Association page and website

According to a  Google Search, there is seemingly no organisation by that name, which suggests it does not exist. Instead, existing organisations include the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and the American Medical Association. 

According to  Cancer Research UK, an independent cancer organisation in the United Kingdom, drinking hot tea in plastic cups cannot cause cancer. Additionally, using plastic does not increase the risk of cancer, and it is safe to drink from plastic bottles, use plastic containers, cling film, and store food in plastic bags.

Cancer Research UK also added that even when plastics are heated for hours, studies have shown that the food inside remains safe.

Other studies, here and here, indicate that drinking hot tea can increase cancer risk. However, the studies do not mention the increased risk of consuming tea from plastic cups. 

Plastic materials are everywhere in our homes, such as plates, baby feeding bottles, cutlery, food containers, fibreglass, water coolers, etc.

According to Doctor Ashwini Kumar Setya, a senior consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Gastroenterology Institute of Digestive and Hepatobiliary Science, Gurugram- India, when hot food is kept in plastic material, it can produce a chemical which is not scientifically proven to cause cancer.

“…And some of these chemicals, like Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates, might do strange things to your body, mimicking and disrupting hormones in ways that even scientists haven’t fully understood,” Dr Ashwini K. Setya said

In an interview with 211 Check,  Dr. Catherine Naliaka Nyongesa, a physician radiation oncologist and CEO of Texas Cancer Centre, Nairobi, explained that no substantial literature supports the claim.

She disclosed that: “I think more research is needed to provide evidence to support such claims.’’ 

According to the FDA, there are plastics labelled for microwave use only that are safe to use. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) has also advised that people can use glass, ceramic, plastic containers and plastic wrap labelled for microwave use. 

Further instructions include:

  • Always follow the label’s instructions when using microwave-safe containers to heat food.
  • Never heat or store food in plastic containers not intended for food. Single-use containers, like margarine tubs, tend to warp or melt in the microwave. This may allow more of the substances in the plastic to leach into the food.
  • Let food cool before adding it to a plastic container, then put it in the fridge immediately. Avoid plastics that are visibly damaged, stained, or have a bad smell.

Conclusion:

According to investigations by 211 Check, scientific evidence suggests that certain chemicals can be leached into food from plastic materials. However, the amounts and potential health risks of these chemicals remain unconfirmed.

Hence, it is vital to choose plastic bags or materials specifically designed for food and labelled as safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use them. 

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

Fact-check: Is this South Sudan’s Symbol of Justice?

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No, this is one of the statues of the Symbol of Justice found in Nigeria. 

Writer: Nancy Ceasar

A Facebook post by Insight Juba with an image supposedly of South Sudan’s Symbol of Justice is false. The image of a statue supported by a stick was shared with the caption, “South Sudan’s statue[ symbol] of justice is tired already.” 

The post had attracted 182 likes, eight comments, and three shares at publication.

A screenshot of the post as published by Insight Juba.

Claim Verification:

211 Check carried out a reverse image search using Google Lens and found instances where the image had been shared in the past. 

In one instance, the image had been posted on X (formerly Twitter) on July 30, 2017. The post reads, “Lmaoooooooooooooo even the symbol of justice in Nigeria is tired(sic).”

Screenshot of the X post. 

Other sources that published the image are listed here and here. 

However, according to various Nigerian sites, the statue was restored as reported here, here, here, here and here.

A further reverse search of the restored statue brings up a clearer image published by the Daily Post in February 2021. 

What is the Statue/Symbol of Justice?

According to LawPadi, the Nigerian Symbol of Justice is a statue of a blindfolded lady holding a sword on one hand and a scale on the other. The blindfold symbolises that justice should be impartial and, therefore, enforces neutrality.

Heather & Little Ltd, in their article, explain in detail the meanings behind the ‘Lady of Justice’ Statue:

“Artwork depicting the Lady of Justice statue, whether in paintings, sculptures, coats of arms, or metal statues, is found worldwide. In North or South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southern and Eastern Asia, or Australasia, you will likely see the Lady of Justice statue in courthouses, law offices, and legal and educational institutions. The history of the Lady Justice statue goes back many thousands of years, and she typically carries symbols of justice.”

Notably, in Nigeria, this symbol of justice is in different forms, although all the features remain the same and carry the same meaning throughout all the country’s courtrooms. 

On the other hand, South Sudan does not have a statue representing the symbol of Justice and instead uses The National Coat of Arms, which was officially adopted in 2011. It features an African fish eagle with open wings, bearing a gold shield and a crossed spear and spade placed behind the shield. The eagle is seen facing its right side and symbolises strength, resilience, and vision, while the shield and spear represent the protection of the new sovereign state and the people’s hard work to feed it.

South Sudan’s Coat of Arm

Conclusion:

211 Check found a Facebook post by Insight Juba with an image supposedly of South Sudan’s Symbol of Justice as false. The image shows a statue of Nigeria’s Symbol of Justice, which has since been rectified. 

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

Fact-check: Afriland First Bank in Juba isn’t giving Poverty Relief Fund

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The claim that Afriland First Bank is giving a National Poverty Relief Fund is a hoax and trick designed by scammers to obtain personal details. 

Writer: Abraham Athian

A WhatsApp link widely shared in several direct messages and groups claiming that Afriland First Bank is giving National Poverty Relief Fund worth $ 800 (Eight hundred United States Dollars) is a hoax. 

When clicking on the link, the website claims that a lucky user will have a chance to win $800 after filling out a questionnaire, which inquires about the user’s details and his/her knowledge about Afriland First Bank.

A screenshot of a WhatsApp link 

The scammers are very tricky. They will tell you to answer the questionnaire first and share the link with five WhatsApp groups and 20 friends about their promotion. And wait for the gift to be delivered within 5-7 days after completing the registration. 

Screenshot of a website claim 

The web page has very encouraging comments. Someone may think that the promotion is real because of other people’s comments, which motivate the users to believe in the promotion, for example. “Thanks @ Afriland First Bank! Really, I got a gift”. “I told my friends about it so they can get it too,” which, in the actual sense, is misleading because the comments are static, and the profiles are fake as well as not clickable.

Screenshot of some comments 

Claim Verification:

The Afriland First Bank In Cameroon issued a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday, September 14, 2023. The Post read, “BEWARE OF SCAMMERS”!!! Over the last few days, ill-intentioned individuals have been posing online as Afriland First Bank. They propose a link to access a web platform to steal personal data from internet users.”

They offer users the possibility of substantial amounts being provided, and they participate in a popular nationwide subsidy scheme launched online by First Bank. 

“We wish to inform our esteemed customers and general public that we have not organised such an online scheme. We further wish to remind our customers that we automatically publish our official information on our website ( www.afrilandfirstbank.com ) and our social media platform,” the statement reads in part.

The bank denounced what it called “this fraudulent scheme” devised by scammers and requested the public to be vigilant, considering the growing number of attempts by unscrupulous individuals to defraud unsuspecting users online.

Screenshot of the post by Afriland First Bank

On a separate search for domain details, Whois shows that the fake domain was registered on August 1, 2023, and will expire in August next year. 

Screenshot of a fake domain.

On the contrary, the Whois results for Afriland First Bank’s official website show that it was registered on March 23, 2002, and will expire on March 23, 2024.

Screenshot of Afriland First Bank Domain 

Moreover, the website domain name http://treasuretreat.top/adwtqp/88851586737290191952 does not match the official Afriland First Bank URL www.afrilandfirstbank.com proving that it was a fraudulent scheme designed by the scammers to defraud people. 

A further search by VirusTotal detected that the URL link is Suspicious, Malicious, and Phishing hence, it is unsafe to use. 

Screenshot of Virus Total results 

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim that Afriland First Bank is giving the National Poverty Relief Fund a hoax. It is a trick intended to collect personal information and defraud people by scammers. 

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a Pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter