Fact-check: These photos, allegedly of a bride running out of a church, are not taken in Juba

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The Facebook post featuring the images of a bride who appears to be fleeing her wedding and were not taken in Juba. The photos are of a bride who was seen running from her wedding in Nigeria, but no one knows what really happened.

By Jibi Moses

A claim by Juba South Sudan, that a bride ran out of the church in Juba on Monday this week after discovering that the man (Lualdit) doesn’t work for an oil company as he claimed is false.

Juba South Sudan, is an online page with a category of travel and transport. The page has 44,000 followers and over 40,000 likes.

On Monday, 26 September 2022, the page posted pictures of what looks like a bride and some people running after her seemingly to convince her to come back to church.

The pictures were captioned: “A bride runs out of church today in Juba after discovering that the man (Lualdit) doesn’t work in an oil company as he claimed. Kalam de wosulu.” The post attracted over 1,000 interactions, 823 comments and over 60 shares.

The photos that were allegedly taken in Juba on Monday.

A reverse image search of the photos shared in the Facebook post indicated that the photos were infact first shared on 15th August 2016 and were traced to the Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria.

The article associated with the image claimed that the bride ran away after she discovered the husband to be wasn’t an employee at Chevron as he had earlier claimed.

The photo was shared widely in 2016 by various websites. The photo once again surfaced in August 2021 with the same claim. 

This Nigerian website once again carried the same story but did not specify which date the incident occurred.

In September 2021 a Kenyan blogger shared the same picture of a bride running away while being followed seemingly by a bridegroom on his Facebook page with a description that a Kilifi woman ran away from her wedding after learning that the boyfriend is a taxi driver and not an employee of Kenya Commercial Bank .This was fact checked by John Mbati of Kenya.co.ke.on 23rd  Sept 2021 and the claim was dismissed as false.

A screenshot of the article by Kenyans.co.ke showing the same pictures after they were fact-checked.

In all the above articles the claim was first reported by a Facebook user Sunday Ikemefula, he says the bride ran out of the church after discovering that the groom is not a chevron staff as he claimed to be, he lied to her. According to the post it happened in Eket, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria. 

Conclusion:

211 Check has found out that the Facebook post featuring the image of a bride who appears to be fleeing her wedding and was taken in Juba to be false. The photos are of a bride who was seen running from her wedding in Nigeria, but no-one knows what really happened.

Fact-check: Yes, the Bank of South Sudan has ordered commercial banks to freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited

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The directive by the Bank of South Sudan for commercial banks to block and freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited is true. The Bank of South Sudan confirmed that the viral letter is its official document.

By Ochaya Jackson

The Bank of South Sudan has directed the blocking and freezing of accounts for Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited that claims it is affiliated to Silicone Valley Shares, in all the commercial banks in South Sudan.

The bank’s decision according to the document that went viral on social media, is that the Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited is under investigation on compliance issues with the laws of South Sudan.

“The Bank of South Sudan (BOSS) top management would like to inform you that Silicon Valley Co. Ltd is still under investigation on issues related to compliance with all the relevant laws of South Sudan. Therefore, you are hereby directed to block and freeze the bank accounts of Silicon Valley Co. Ltd until further notice,” reads in part the document dated 23rd of September, 2022 signed by the bank’s director of supervision department, Deng Aru Bol and addressed to managing directors of all commercial banks in South Sudan.

Bank of South Sudan letter that went viral on social media

The Bank of South Sudan confirmed the authenticity of the document and said they are the official and authentic source  when contacted by 211 Check.

What do commercial banks say?

The Equity Bank of South Sudan said it has not yet received “the official instruction from the central bank”, but confirmed that it had “already blocked the account of Silicon Valley when the rumors” about their business came out.

Ecobank, where most of the company’s bank wire is done and Co-operative Bank South Sudan could not immediately respond to our inquiries.

What does 211 Check know about Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited?

Silicone Valley Shares claims to be a venture capital firm with more than $6.4 billion in assets under management that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies.

The firm says it is a Limited Liability Company (LLC) headquartered in San Jose, California. Silicone Valley Shares also claims to have helped launch and commercialise 200-plus companies since 2010, including investments in DocuSign, Jet.com, Kiva Systems, LinkedIn, Rapid7, SurveyMonkey, Taleo, and TellApart.

It entered the South Sudan Market and registered at the registrar of companies in the ministry of Justice in December 2021 as “Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited.” 

According to news reports by Eye Radio and the Sudans Post, hundreds of South Sudanese, including those who have invested thousands of dollars in the company, are worried about its legitimacy and legality in the United States, though the South Sudan Police Service says the company is legally registered with the government.

mGurush Partnership:

In this blog post on its website, Silicone Valley Shares states that its clients shall be accessing its services using MGurush, South Sudan’s pioneer mobile money platform that provides a fast, easy, safe and convenient way to send and receive money across the country.

However, in a tweet reply, mGurush said it was unaware of Silicone Valley Shares and that they were not in partnership.

Freezing of Silicone Valley Shares Bank Accounts:

On September 23, 2022, the Central Bank of South Sudan directed all commercial banks operating in the country to block and freeze all accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited. 

211 Check is still undertaking indepth research into Silicone Valley Shares and will publish its findings at a later date.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found that the directive by the Bank of South Sudan for commercial banks to block and freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited is true. The Bank of South Sudan confirmed that the viral letter is its official document.

Fact-check: Does Gammora cure HIV/AIDS?

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is no cure for HIV infection. False claims of HIV cures exploit the hopes people have that an HIV cure will be developed, to generate publicity.

By Beatrice Amude

Africa Med solutions, a Facebook page that writes about health issues, claimed in a post on 24th September 2022 that Gammora, an antiretroviral drug helps to cure HIV-infected patients by destroying all cells carrying the HIV virus-genome.

“…and not only did that but also helped to increase the amount of CD4 cells in the patients, a sign of a healthy immune system…” Africa Med solutions claimed in the Facebook post.

The post that appears to be advertising the drug included an audiogram of a woman allegedly named Adut from Western Bahr-el-Gazal State, who claims that she and her husband were HIV positive but after they took the Gammora, they tested negative after 25 days of treatment.

Screenshot of the post by Africa Med solution

Research conducted by 211 Check to ascertain the accuracy of the claim found out that it is false.

Johnson Malish, a medic in Juba, told 211 Check there is no cure for HIV/AIDS at the moment based on scientific consensus, but there is only control of the virus from killing or destroying the patient quickly.’’

“There is no complete treatment of HIV/AIDS, but there is a lifelong antiretroviral medication for HIV, that will reduce the virus to undetectable rate, but once one ignores taking the medication, the virus will easily resurface,” Johnson said.

Mary, a woman living with HIV/AIDS says there is no medicine that can cure HIV, only the antiretroviral that controls the virus replicating in the body.

On her part, Nunu Diana, the Executive Director of Young Positives, an organization that works with people living with HIV/AIDS, said, “Unless we get clarification and authentic information from UNAIDS country office and WHO that claim by Africa Med Solution is baseless and it can distract young people living with HIV from adherence to their ARVS.”

What is Gammora?

Gammora is a drug developed by Zion Medical, an Israeli-based biotech company that announced the result of their first clinical trial of the HIV drug Gammora which they claimed was able to eliminate 99% of the HIV within four weeks of treatment. Zion Medical reported that their study enrolled nine patients in Uganda.

Zion Medical Company later admitted that the trial was not registered with Uganda’s regulatory body, and it couldn’t explain the poor treatment Ugandan patients got as part of its ‘trial’.

An independent analysis by Treatment Action Group (TAG) on Zion Medical’s Gammora press release states any claim that the peptide is a potential HIV cure is egregiously false. The trial is not listed among research authorized by the Uganda National Drug Authority.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation, HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in your body and helps you stay healthy. There is no cure for HIV, but you can control it with HIV treatment. Most people can get the virus under control within six months. HIV treatment does not prevent the transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a claim that Gammora can cure HIV/AIDS and finds it false.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is no cure for HIV infection. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.

Fact-check: No evidence the World Academic Competition exists

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The competition has no digital footprint, and major news outlets haven’t reported it. A rare case of global competition.

By Ochaya Jackson

Social media reports going viral have indicated that South Sudanese Gai Malong Awan has won the “World Academic Competition” which was reportedly held in London. 

According to the certificate of appreciation, Gai Malong was pictured with and posted on social media, the event was allegedly held on September 12th.

“South Sudanese, Mr. Gai Malong Awan wins top position at The World Academic Competition (WAC) in London. Gai scored an average of 94% in all exams. The competition ranked South Sudan in the first position, followed by England, Sweden and USA,” reads the Facebook post seen by 211 Check.

Screenshot of post announcing Gai’s win

However, did this competition even happen, or does it even exist? 211 Check investigated this assertion.

Digital Footprint:

A simple google search returns no result related to The World Academic Compeition. It has no digital footprints both on websites and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Facebook and Twitter searches only return results related to posts of Gai winning the competition.

The email:

When 211 Check wrote to the email [email protected] indicated in the competition’s letterhead, Andy Carrel who manages the email said, “I don’t know anything about these claims or any competition by that name.”

Screenshot of email reply from [email protected] 

The World Academic Competition category is not among the global academic competitions for students 2022-2023. The link is here  

Photos shared with the claim:

The report also included the picture of thousands of spectators claimed to be attendees of the event alongside South Sudanese Gai Malong Awan, but reverse image searches on some of the photos return results of the same photos from different events and not a World Academic Competition. 

Two of the photos was taken during World Scholars Cup by A.B. Paterson College Foundation….without Gai Malong among them. The link is here and here.

Another photo purportedly of panelists during the competition can be found on the website of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations.

The Logo:

The WAC logo

The logo used in the claim of World Academic Competition appears to be impersonating the “Seal of the World Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the United States of America.” The link is here.

Seal of the World Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the United States of America

Conclusion:


211 Check has looked into a claim that a World Academic Competition (WAC) was held in London on 12 September 2022 and finds it unproven. The competition has no digital footprint, and major news outlets haven’t reported it. A rare case of global competition.

Fact-check: These photos do not show ammunition confiscated by the national security yesterday

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By 211 Check Desk

Photos shared on Facebook and WhatsApp of a massive amount of ammunition and guns being transported in a casket allegedly to Pibor have been found to be FALSE.

Misleading Facebook Post

A google reverse image search on the photos show that in 2016, the photos were circulated in Nigeria media depicting a massive amount of weaponry and ammunition allegedly concealed in a casket.

It was falsely reported that a Nigerian army unit had intercepted an arms trafficking syndicate travelling between Ondo and Lagos States.

At that time, Nigeria army spokesperson said the photos were actually taken from a training exercise in 2012.

“The photos circulating were taken from a training exercise held in 2012 and it is normal to have other security agencies represented in all internal security trainings at schools or in barracks by army units,” Nigerian Army spokesman SK Usman told the Sahara Reporters on 30th March 2016.

There have also been no credible media reports in South Sudan about the photos as of Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into photos allegedly of members of South Sudan national security confiscating ammunition being transported to Pibor and finds them to be FALSE

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

FALSE CLAIM ABOUT CHOL DENG THON OWNING A HOTEL IN NORWAY211 Check

Fact-Check: Who owns Thon Hotels in Norway?

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According to Wikipedia, the Thon Hotels (formerly known as Rainbow Hotels) is a Norwegian-based hotel chain. It is currently the 3rd largest hotel chain in Norway with 50-odd hotels in Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands owned by Olav Thon

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

A Facebook post this afternoon claimed that the Thon Hotels in Norway are owned by the newly appointed Managing Director of the state owned Nile Petroleum. It said that Chol Deng Thon acquired the hotel using “oil money” in 2018.

“The current managing Director of NILEPET, Dr. Chol Deng Thon, owns a hotel worth million dollars in Norway. The hotel which he acquired through oil money in 2018 is currently the 3rd largest hotel in Norway. South Sudanese urged him to invest in the country to create jobs for them rather than building big business mansions abroad,” reads the post shared on Facebook.

Facebook Post claiming that Chol Deng Thon owns the Thon Hotels in Norway

Investigation:

According to Wikipedia, the Thon Hotels (formerly known as Rainbow Hotels) is a Norwegian-based hotel chain. It is currently the 3rd largest hotel chain in Norway with 50-odd hotels in Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

The Thon Hotel chain was established in 1989 as part of the Olav Thon Group (Olav Thon Gruppen) which in turn is owned by the Olav Thon Foundation. The CEO is Olav Thon.

Olav Thon (born 29 June 1923 in Ål, Hallingdal) is a Norwegian real estate developer and listed in the Forbes list of billionaires as the 198th richest person in the world with a net worth of $6 billion as of March 2013. He is Norway’s richest person and his Olav Thon Group is Norway’s largest private real estate company, with 450 properties, including 60 hotels.[2][3] As of 12 March 2021, Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated his net worth at US$ 6.20 Billion, making him the 437th richest person in the world.

211 Check could not track any available business records of Chol Deng Thon, the new Managing Director of NilePet in Oslo, Norway. 

Conclusion:

The claim that Chol Deng Thon, NilePet Managing Director owns the Thon Hotel in Norway is FALSE. The Thon Hotels are owned by Olav Thon, a Norwegian real estate developer.

#FactsMatter, Don’t fall victim to fake news; let’s fight the spread of misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media.

Note: To avoid spreading false information, don’t rush into sharing content that you aren’t sure of or you don’t know its origin.

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: 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