Tag Archive for: 211 Check

FALSE: This video is not of a hospitality robot made by the Federal University Oye-Ekiti in Nigeria

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The robot was filmed at an African restaurant in Indianapolis and is a product of US-based company Bear Robotics.

Writer: PesaCheck

A Facebook post with a TikTok video purportedly of a hospitality robot made by the Federal University Oye-Ekiti in Nigeria is FALSE.

The post reads, “This is Nigeria. This Robot was designed and constructed by the Department of Mechatronics, Federal University, Oye- Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. ‘A Robot Serving food in a restaurant’.”

The post adds, “As you can listen to the background discussion. Nigeria is building capacity to catch-up with global technology.”

A search for the TikTok username @house_of_lovedoctor visible in the video in question established that the video was filmed in the United States (US).

The TikTok account shared the post on 26 September 2023 with the caption, “At any point where a customer obstructs ANITA’S operation, she cries for help. Shop located at 4150 Lafayette rd, IN 46254 Indianapolis. AFS Kitchen.”

AFS Kitchen is an African restaurant in Indianapolis, USA.

On 21 September 2023, the creator shared a different post of the robot at the same restaurant with Indianapolis as the tagged location and responded to a comment clarifying it is not in Nigeria but in the USA.

A reverse image search of a screenshot of the robot from the video on Yandex established that it is a product of a US-based company and not manufactured in Nigeria, as alleged.

Images of the robot were featured in an article dated 15 March 2022 titled, “Bear Robotics Raises $81M Series B to Scale Up Mobile Robots in the Hospitality Market.”

Bear Robotics has manufactured two hospitality robots dubbed “Servi” and “Servi Plus”, which have been deployed to various restaurants globally.

There is no news of the said invention from Nigeria’s Federal University Oye-Ekiti from a credible source.

PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post with a video purportedly of a hospitality robot made by the Federal University Oye-Ekiti in Nigeria and finds it to be FALSE.

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.

HOAX: UNICEF is not running this cash promotion in Kenya

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UNICEF Kenya has denounced the promotion.

Writer: PesaCheck

This Facebook post from an account purporting to have received cash from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Foundation is a HOAX.

The post, mostly in Swahili, loosely translates to: “I didn’t think this UNICEF foundation promotion was legitimate. I’m very happy to have received mine today, I’m grateful. I’m also informing my friends to enjoy it too. INBOX ME OR Text this number on WhatsApp (0712266650) starting with the word PROMOTION then follow the instructions given. Thank me later.”

It is accompanied by a screenshot of a text message purportedly from the mobile money service, M-PESA, showing that the user has received KSh85,000 from the UNICEF Foundation.

Similar posts have also been shared here and here.

A review of the account shows similar posts claiming to have received the same amount. Curiously, the funds all seem to have been received at 7:17 a.m. on 22 September 2023.

The posts, using an unofficial communication channel (WhatsApp), are poorly written and are likely online scams, as previously debunked by PesaCheck.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is tasked with safeguarding the rights of children and women in developing countries like Kenya.

Reviewing the official UNICEF Kenya website reveals its support for causes, including education, child protection, emergencies, health, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene. However, there is no indication of the promotion we are debunking.

Likewise, there is no mention of a ‘UNICEF Foundation’ cash promotion on the agency’s Kenya’s Facebook page and X (formerly Twitter) account, where they typically share updates.

PesaCheck also reached out to Dan Oloo, a communication specialist at UNICEF Kenya, who denounced the promotion.

“All announcements, advertisements and other official communication is done only via verified UNICEF digital channels as below: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UNICEFKenya/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/UNICEFKenya), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/unicef_kenya/) and web: (http://www.unicef.org/kenya),” wrote Oloo in response to our query.

Oloo also cautioned against posts from unverified UNICEF Kenya accounts.

PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post from an account purporting to have received cash from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) foundation 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.

ALTERED: This image of Cairo Tower in Egypt displaying the Palestine flag is manipulated

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The original image dates back to 2010 and doesn’t feature the Palestine flag.

Writer: PesaCheck

This image on Facebook, purportedly of the Cairo Tower in Egypt displaying the Palestine flag, is ALTERED.

The image is accompanied by a text that reads, “Cairo Tower is decorated with the Palestinian flag. Here is Cairo,, here is Palestine.”

The claim was shared amid ongoing armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which broke out on 7 October 2023.

A Google search for the keywords “Cairo Tower images” established the image in question was altered.

The original image is available on Wikimedia Commons with the description, “Cairo Tower at Night.”

It was uploaded on 3 February 2010 and is attributed to Ahmed Santos.

A side by side comparison of the altered image and the original one reveals similarities between the two, including the moon’s shape and position. The background colour of the sky and the outline of the trees at the bottom are other similarities.

The original image is also available on the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) website alongside other images of Cairo Tower, and is attributed to Santos.

There are no reports from a credible source of the Cairo Tower displaying the Palestine flag in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

PesaCheck has looked into an image shared on Facebook purportedly of the Cairo Tower in Egypt displaying the Palestine flag, and finds it to be ALTERED.

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.