Fact-Check: This is not a picture showing thMISLEADING IMAGE OF SHERIKHAT BUS PARK211 Check

Fact-Check: This is not a picture showing the Kampala bus park in Sherikhat, Juba

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The photo first used by The City Review Digital in its story “Sherikat youths invade Kampala park demanding jobs” is of a bus park found in Birendranagar, Nepal not Sherikhat, Juba

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

A story by The City Review Digital, a local newspaper in South Sudan published on Saturday, 23rd October 2021 titled “Sherikat youths invade Kampala park demanding jobs” used a misleading image and caption depicting the Kampala bus park in Sherikhat Juba.

Misleading Image by The City Review Digital captioned “Kampala Bus Park in Sherikhat

A reverse image search by 211 Check reveals that the picture is of a bus park in Birendranagar, Nepal. Nepal is a country in South Asia. 

Google Maps also shows the image as of April 2018 for the Bus Park in Birendranagar, Nepal.

Google Maps, Bus Park, Birendranagar, Nepal – April 2018

Conclusion:

The image and its caption in the story are misleading. The picture does not show the Kampala bus park in Sherikhat, Juba, it is a bus park in Birendranagar in Nepal, South Asia.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

Central Bank of South Sudan Hoax211 Check

Fact-Check: Is the Bank of South Sudan offering rewards to its Website Visitors?

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“This scam uses Bank of South Sudan’s brand names and logo in order to make the prize look legitimate. They claim that the BoSS offers prizes worth 300 thousand United States Dollars. This is not true, the BoSS does not offer prizes, awards, or funds,” reads a statement shared by the Bank of South Sudan through its Facebook Page.

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

An imposter website in the name of the Bank of South Sudan claims that it is offering checks through “the bank’s rewards center” to its website visitors.

In one of the screenshots obtained by 211 Check and SafetyComm South Sudan, the website said a visitor had won a Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018).

But, is the Bank of South Sudan currently giving out prizes to its website visitors? Find out:

Screenshot of Imposter Website Page claiming that a visitor had won a Samsung Galaxy

Findings:

211 Check examination of the unrelated website: http://altajari-prizes.xyz/ [do not click on the link] reveals that the domain name was registered only 16 days ago as of Wednesday, 18/08/2021. A domain created less than 3 months ago is considered new and thus potentially suspicious. The site also has an unknown trustworthiness score on the Web of Trust.

The Bank of South Sudan also released a statement on Wednesday, 18/08/2021 afternoon that it was warning the public “about fraudulent activities being perpetrated in its name on social media through a fraud scheme”

“This scam uses Bank of South Sudan’s brand names and logo in order to make the prize look legitimate. They claim that the BoSS offers prizes worth 300 thousand United States Dollars. This is not true, the BoSS does not offer prizes, awards, or funds,” reads a statement shared by the Bank of South Sudan through its Facebook Page.

You should also note that the official website for the Central Bank of South Sudan is hosted at: https://www.boss.gov.ss/

Conclusion:

Do not provide your account details or personal identification information to a scammer. Do not click suspicious links on the internet.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback

Fact-Check Sorry, Ecobank not offering $ 3000 present on 40th Anniversary211 Check

Fact-Check: Sorry, Ecobank not offering $ 3000 present on 40th Anniversary

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It’s true that Ecobank has an upcoming event. But it’s not an anniversary, not its 40th either. This is an event hinged on corporate social responsibility and no participants are required to click the malicious link above in order to join. And, there will be no specified $3000 present, at least.

By Charles Lotara

As the Ecobank Day draws closer, a promotional message with a malicious link has hit WhatsApp platform and has been shared multiple times.

The message prompts users to “click the link to participate in the survey” and “have a chance to win $3000”. This is purportedly happening on the 40th Anniversary of Ecobank.

It is untrue. Ecobank was established in 1985 according to the data on the company’s official website. That makes the bank 36 years old.

Screenshot of Scam WhatsApp Message

The Uniform Resource Locator

Further verification and fact-checking on the link reveals that the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) http://dinnerscare.top attached to the WhatsApp message crafted by a Nigerian user was registered on 28/09/2021.

According to Whois.com, a site that reveals domain identity, the website is hosted by Alibaba.com, Chinese-owned e-commerce giant.

While it is conventionally common that a credible website can be hosted outside the country of the domain registrant, the web address attached to this promotional message attributed to Ecobank is registered under a company called lvhai Ming in Liaoning, a province in China.

The company’s details could not be established by 211 Check as it was not indexed by major search engines at the time of writing. This could be because the company is still new and yet to be indexed by search engines or it is operating as a pseudonym, an aspect search crawler strongly discourages.

A Safe Web Report Generated by Norton Safe Web, a web reputation management service by NortonLifeLock, rated the site http://dinnerscare.top as “Cautious”, among sites that  “may have a small number of threats and annoyances”.

The domain analyses indicate no link between Ecobank and the URL on the text accompanied by random characters.

About the Ecobank Event

It is true that Ecobank has an upcoming event slated for 22nd October 2021, which is on Friday this week.

Dubbed the Ecobank Day, it is the day on which the bank will be “raising about mental health”. The Pan African Bank started the three-year campaign ‘Together for Better Health’ in 2019 to show its commitment to preventing NCDs, which encompasses mental, neurological and substance use disorders.

“We are raising awareness and helping to prevent the incidence of NCDs across Africa. The annual highlight of the campaign is during Ecobank Day, our pan-African initiative that takes place in the last quarter of each year, when Ecobank and its staff give back to their communities,” a statement on the bank’s official website read.

Conclusion

It’s true that Ecobank has an upcoming event. But it’s not an anniversary, not its 40th either. This is an event hinged on corporate social responsibility and no participants are required to click the malicious link above in order to join. And, there will be no specified $3000 present, at least.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

National Youth Empowerment Fund Hoax211 Check

Fact-Check: Is the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme Legitimate?

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The Federal Republic of Nigeria has an initiative named Presidential Youth Entrepreneurship Support (P-YES) and the application dates for 2021 have not yet been announced. Their official site is hosted at www.p-yes.gov.ng 

By: Oriba Douglas 

A widely shared WhatsApp message claims that the National Youth Empowerment Fund, a federal government agency in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is giving out ₦150,000 – ₦550,000 grants to citizens under the age of 13-65 years from 2021 – 2024 (it fails to specify which country). It calls for this to be achieved through interested persons applying and registering through their given website hosted at https://youth-empowerments.ethut.co 

Message Extract in full:

The message reads;

“*National Youth Empowerment Fund Application Form 2021 Is Out*

National Youth Empowerment Funding Application Form 2021 online for registration exercise which is the quickest to apply for is now out for all bonafide citizens only who needs helping hands in their various Business and Education

*The National Youth Empowerment Funds is vision into giving out ₦150,000 – ₦550,000 grant to every Citizen under the age 13-65 years from 2021-2024*.

Age 13-25 (150,000-300,000)

Age 25-65(400,000-700,000)

*October Payments has began for all applicants, Register To be Part of the Beneficiaries

*Strictly for Students and Business owners*

Check Eligibility and Apply here

WhatsApp Message of the Scam

Investigation:

211 Check followed the link attached to the WhatsApp message. It leads to a site on the internet with the URL https://youth-empowerments.ethut.co. The page presents the visitor with a bold header relaying the message Presidential Youth Empowerment Fund and is flaunted on the left by a logo that is used by the official P-YES, on the right a coat of arms of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and below are the Flags of Uganda, Ghana, Cameroun, Namibia plus the Coat of arms of the Republic of Kenya. 

The page further seeks to whey the visitors through a site marquee that stresses “The Presidential Youth Empowerment Funds for all citizens…”

A timer is also included on the website to state till when the offer will remain available.

The page then flows on to a simple HTML form.

The form starts off with some brief statements about the scheme. The form has spaces for full name, Country, Home Address, Phone Number, and Email Address before being presented with a button labelled “proceed” that once clicked ushers page 2 of the form presents Congratulatory messages stating that application has been received and to acquire the funds immediately one is asked to answer three questions that are on a carousel. Once all three questions are answered. A new page loads bearing messages like “after receiving and checking your application, you have been approved to receive the Presidential Youth Empowerment Funds for Free.

A precondition to receive the funds is then added stating that the money will be available immediately a button labelled “invite friends/groups” is clicked so as to share a replica of the same message at the very base of this fact check report to other WhatsApp users and groups. The precondition further dictates that the sharing be done till a blue bar on the site is full.

Analysis and Findings:

Red Flag 1: The first website’s first landing page displays flags and coats of arm of different African Countries in a manner lacking any officiality.

Red Flag 2: Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme is not registered as a valid  youth empowerment scheme anywhere in Africa but on the contrary Nigeria recently launched Presidential Youth Entrepreneurship Support (P-YES) whose official logo exists on the fake site’s landing page.

Red Flag 3: The currency to be given out is Nigerian Naira, unsuitable for transactions among countries with different currencies and economies

Red Flag 4: The site borrows heavily the names, flags and logos from Official Nigerian establishments.

Red Flag 5: Without filling the form, #211Check was able to go to page 2 where the following questions were asked:

1. What is your employment Status?

2. What is your Marital status?

3. Choose age range?”

Red Flag 6: A false comments section accompanying page 2 bearing forged Facebook comments with alleged beneficiaries writing good reviews about the grant scheme. 

Red Flag 7: After answering the 3 questions on page 2, you are immediately notified that your application was successful.

Red Flag 8: You are required to mass resend a version of the WhatsApp message that likely brought you to the site in the first place, in order to receive your cash grant.

Analysis:

Analysing the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme website using the tool hosted at https://whois.domaintools.com showed that the website was registered and hosted on 13th July 2021

The domain was registered in the US and the current IP location is New Jersey, US.

The IP history shows that within the last 97 days the IP address has been changed four times.

A look at the source code to the website indicates the form on the site has no capabilities to submit any data entered into it and thus just there to create an environment that mimics the real thing. Developer tools on Microsoft Edge were used to analyse this.

Conclusion:

False, the website is fraudulent and its whole purpose is spam, mostly spamming WhatsApp platforms. 

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has an initiative named Presidential Youth Entrepreneurship Support (P-YES) and the application dates for 2021 have not yet been announced. Their official site is hosted at www.p-yes.gov.ng 

SCAM ALERT Fake UNICEF South Sudan Job Offers

SCAM ALERT: These UNICEF South Sudan Career Opportunities are Fake

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The UNICEF South Sudan Communications Officer has told 211 Check that the recruitment for vacant positions allegedly by the organisation is fake, and no one should recognize it because they don’t receive job applications via email.

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

A job posting purportedly from UNICEF South Sudan has been making the rounds on social media, advertising over 8,000 jobs in a variety of departments ranging from interns to administrators in all ten states of South Sudan.

Interested Applicants are asked to send their cover letter, CV, and National ID to an unrelated Web email, but the job advertisement bears all of the hallmarks of a scam, as have many others exposed by 211 Check.

Image of the Fake Job Advertisement

The job listings are on an image rather than the official website  of UNICEF South Sudan that is supposedly hiring. Such documents are quick and easy to set up and look official. 

The email is designed to look as though it is an official UNICEF South Sudan email, but is a free Gmail email – @gmail.com. Official UNICEF email ends in – unicef.org. 

When 211 Check contacted the UNICEF South Sudan communications office, its Communication Officer, Richard Ruati said that the recruitment for vacant positions allegedly by UNICEF South Sudan is fake, and no one should recognize it because the organisation doesn’t receive job applications via email.

“We have noticed the unfortunate job adverts purported in the name of UNICEF. Please note that these adverts, emails and slogans are fake, and no one should recognize them. UNICEF releases job adverts only on https://jobs.unicef.org/en-us/, and we don’t receive job adverts through emails,” Richard Ruati wrote in an email reply to 211 Check.

When you see a job advertised on Social Media, avoid providing personal information such as your National ID or Phone Number through unofficial emails or websites, and ensure that the link provided (if any) takes you to the organization’s official website.

To avoid becoming a victim of a job scam, use the SCAM CHECK or read what the UN Careers has to say about job SCAMS.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into jobs advertised in the name of UNICEF South Sudan — and finds them to be a SCAM

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

Is WhatsApp Ending Tomorrow at 6 PM211 Check

Fact-Check: Is WhatsApp ‘ending tomorrow at 6 pm’? Here’s the truth

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Old hoax about WhatsApp ‘ending tomorrow at 6 pm’ circulating again in South Sudan, but here’s the truth

By 211 Check Editorial Team

The infamous Varun Pulyani WhatsApp message has reappeared. The fake message purporting to be from WhatsApp’s director, Varun Pulyani, has been circulating once more since the platform’s decision to update its privacy policy sparked outrage among users. The fake message, which has previously circulated on several occasions, claims that the platform will begin charging money unless users spread the message.

“Do not ignore please read it carefully” Hello, I am VARUN PULYANI director of whatsapp, this message is to inform all our users that we have sold whatsapp to Mark Zuckerberg for 19 billion dollars. WhatsApp is now controlled by mark zuckerberg. If you have at least 20 contacts, send this text message and your whatsapp logo will change to a new icon with the “f” of facebook in 24 hours. Forward this message to more than 10 people to activate your new whatsapp with facebook services or else your account will be removed from the new servers,” says the fake WhatsApp message.

The message goes on to say that “the platform’s servers have recently been very congested, which is why we are asking for your assistance.” This issue has been resolved. We require our active users to forward this message to each of their contacts in order to confirm our active users using WhatsApp; if you do not forward this message to all of your contacts, WhatsApp will begin charging you, (SIC).”

“If you do not send this message to all your contacts, WhatsApp will then start to charge you. Your account will remain inactive with the consequence of losing all your contacts,” the message reads

Users should be aware, however, that there is no Varun Pulyani in WhatsApp, and that the platform only disseminates information through its official blog or social media handles. VARUN PULYANI is not, and has never been, a WhatsApp director. The message that is going around is a hoax. 

Debunked in 2012 and many times since

A simple search on Google shows that different versions of this message have been circulating for at least nine years. 

And they’ve been debunked several times. One of the latest reports was a January 2020 fact-check by Africa Check and an October 2021 report by DataQuest. At the time, a post on the WhatsApp blog dismissed the messages as “a hoax”.

WhatsApp advisory on hoax messages

On its website, WhatsApp advises users that unwanted messages from unauthorised third parties try to “deceive you and prompt you to act in a certain way.” It lists four signs of hoax messages:

  • The sender claims to be affiliated with WhatsApp.
  • The message content includes instructions to forward the message.
  • The message claims you can avoid punishment, like account suspension, if you forward the message.
  • The message content includes a reward or gift from WhatsApp or another person.

South Sudan WhatsApp users are being targeted by this hoax, but when you receive a scam message, WhatsApp advises that you block the sender, disregard the message and delete it. – 211 Check

Conclusion:

211 Check, therefore, concludes that the WhatsApp message and audio circulating are a HOAX, disregard the message and do not forward it further.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

COVID-19 Check Fact - Check Image Template211 Check

Do Covid-19 Vaccines Cause Female Infertility?

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By Charles Lotara

On 30th September 2021, the government of South Sudan completed the inoculation of the second consignment of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine. Out of the 59,520 doses, 59,224 were used while 296 expired according to Mabior Kiir Kudior, the Chief of Planning and Information at the Ministry of Health.

However, the government says the rate of turn up for the vaccine was alarmingly low among women. Of the total population vaccinated so far, women account for only 26.4 percent as compared to 73.6 rate among their male counterparts.

The reluctance by women to take the jab was attributed to claims that COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility and that this particular side effect was more adverse in females as the vaccine complicates the reproductive system.

“There are continued misconceptions and myths surrounding COVID-19 and our people don’t adhere to the vaccine and also people do not have the willingness to take the vaccine,” Mabior Kiir Kudior lamented in an interview with The City Review.

Infertility myth

The claim that COVID-19 vaccines breed infertility started in December 2020 after a German epidemiologist said the vaccines might make women’s bodies resistant to protein that is connected to placenta, and hence, making women infertile.

His thought was based on the perspective that the genetic code of the placenta protein, called syncytin-1, shares a hint of similarity with the genetic code of the spike protein in COVID-19. If the vaccines caused our bodies to make antibodies to protect us from COVID-19, he thought, they could also make antibodies to reject the placenta.

However, D’Angela Pitts, a maternal medicine specialist at America-based Henry Ford Health System dismissed the claim calling it “inaccurate”.

“It’s inaccurate to say that COVID-19’s spike protein and this placenta protein share a similar genetic code. The proteins are not similar enough to cause placenta to not attach to an embryo,” she said.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also disproved the claim. CDC says “COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone 12 years of age and older, including people who are trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future, as well as their partners.”

No reports on COVID-19-induced infertility

According to the South Sudan Ministry of Health, there have been and are still no reports of women who reported an incident of failed pregnancy after getting vaccinated for the coronavirus.

On 15th September 2021, Dr. Victoria Anib Majur, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, appealed to women to turn up for inoculation assuring them that both Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines are safe.

“I want to make a call to women out there that Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca are safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 prevention. I want to encourage you not to listen to rumors out there that the vaccines cause infertility; the vaccines do not cause infertility,” Anib told 211 Check.

Conclusion:

We rate the claim that the COVID-19 vaccine causes female infertility as FALSE because it is not supported by our research. Experts say getting the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t trigger an immune response leading to female infertility.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

211 Check Fact - Check Image Template211 Check

Fact check: A Misleading Video of an Army Vehicle that Overturned in Flood Waters.

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By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

A video of an army vehicle being carried away by flood waters going viral on Messenger, WhatsApp, and elsewhere on social media is lodging a claim that the incident happened in Luri area of Juba County in Central Equatoria State last week.

“This happened in Luri last week,” reads a comment on the video.

The video of what appears to be a military vehicle crossing a stream of fast running water did not originate in South Sudan. While it is true that four soldiers were killed and sixteen others injured while attempting to cross the Luri River on 25th September 2021, the video circulating is not of that incident.

Find out why:

A reverse image search of the fragmented key frames of the video, returned several posts on Facebook and TikTok where the video was used. The earliest being April 29, 2020. It was reused in early August this year as seen in this link. The incident is thought to have happened in N’Djamena, Chad with the vehicle belonging to the Chadian army.

Using visual clues, we are able to tell that the branding of the vehicle in the video is not being used by organised forces in South Sudan.

The environment surrounding the stream doesn’t also look like that of Luri in Juba.

Conclusion:

211 Check, therefore, concludes that the video circulating is misleading and is not of an incident that happened in Juba, South Sudan.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

Radio Miraya misquotes Yei Commissioner, tweeted that Yei airstrip lounge project will cost $600,000

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Author: 211 Check Editorial Team

Intensive investigative findings have revealed that UN radio misquoted Yei Commissioner over the local airstrip construction project.

On Wednesday this week, Radio Miraya tweeted that the construction work of Yei airstrip lounge would cost $600,000.

The below tweet caused uproar on social media, with many South Sudanese netizens criticizing why a small construction project would cost such a huge amount of money. 

The criticisms surfaced intensively on social media when pictures of the airstrip lounge’s foundation work emerged on Facebook and Twitter.

The project also left many online users wanting to know the details of the company contracted by the government to implement such a controversial project. 

Miraya’s misleading tweet

But when fact-checked, it was identified that the lounge construction cost is not worth $600,000, as reported by Radio Miraya.

Yei River County Commissioner, Aggrey Cyrus told Radio Miraya in an interview that the $600,000 included subsequent expansion and upgrade of the Yei airstrip to an airport, not only the pre-boarding facility (waiting lounge).

In addition, Tent Makers International – a religious company contracted by the government, refuted the claims that it was offered $600,000 for the project. It, however, revealed that it is using its own cash to construct a preliminary waiting lounge, as it continues to lobby for huge funds to implement the whole project. 

TMI’s statement over the issue

In a recent fact-check issued by Radio Miraya an hour ago, the media house said the lounge is estimated to cost $30,000 for a space provided to sit 50 air-passengers, according to the Archbishop Evangelical Presbyterian Church – a fact contrary to the first statement which stated that the lounge would accommodate 60 travelers.

Miraya’s Fact Check

Is the video of a Chinese assaulting an African engineer from South Sudan – report states NO!

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Author: Emmanuel Bida

The current trending video about a one-on-one fight between two men at a construction site didn’t happened in South Sudan as stated, according to 211 Check investigations.

In the past forty-eight hours, there has been a video circulating online, in which a Chinese man is seen attacking an African engineer at what seems to be a construction site.

But is the video from South Sudan? No.

The trending video

In the now/above video trending on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, 211 Check found out that the incident didn’t happened in South Sudan as being claimed by many online users.

The occurrence happened at Tonkolili Iron Ore mine in Sierra Leone, where a Chinese miner reportedly attacked a Sierra Leonean Safety Officer, while was carrying out safety briefing. The reason behind the attack is not clear.

The Chinese Rail Way Seventh Group (CRSG) and Kingho Mining Company limited have both on June 9, 2021 issued press statements condemning the act, saying the conflict was “an expected and isolated case”.

The statement obtained by 211 Check states that the Chinese man has since been relieved of his duty as seen below statement.

Statement

#FactsMatters

Avoid sharing fake fabricated content. To know more about our fact-checking process, click, https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or contact us via 211check.org to present a claim – our team will immediately fact-check it and send you an immediate feedback.