Tag Archive for: #FactsMatter

Explainer: How to Safeguard Your WhatsApp Account from Hacking Attempts

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Shield your WhatsApp Account from hackers with these top tips!

Writer: Jibi Moses

Many people have fallen victim to hacking in various ways, whether in their emails, social media accounts, pages, profiles, or groups. This always causes frustration, disappointment, and the loss of valuable information and resources.

The new trend is WhatsApp hacking. It involves using social engineering techniques (e.g.,  Vishing, phishing, and smishing) to trick users into revealing their account information or clicking malicious links. Once the hacker has access to the user’s account, they can use it to spread malware, scam the user’s contacts, or even steal their data.

Hackers use a standard social engineering technique: sending a message to the user, pretending to be a trusted friend or family member. The message may ask the user to share a verification code, click on a link, or install a file. If the user falls for the trick, the hacker will then be able to gain access to their account.

Do not share your verification code with anyone.

Another common technique is sending a message to the user claiming to be from WhatsApp. The message may warn the user that their account is at risk of being suspended or banned and ask them to click on a link to verify their account information. If the user clicks on the link, they will be taken to a fake WhatsApp login page where the hacker can steal their credentials.

Ignore such phishing messages, and don’t click links on them.

One recent example happened in South Sudan, where a hacker infiltrated a WhatsApp group and managed to manipulate a user. After initiating a new registration of the WhatsApp number, He calls a group member and tells him/her, We are having a meeting in the evening, and to confirm your attendance, I have sent you a code. It’s on your screen; send it to me. However, the code clearly says.. “Enter this verification code on your phone.”

How to protect yourself from WhatsApp hacking

There are several things you can do to protect yourself from WhatsApp hacking:

  1. Be wary of suspicious messages: If you receive a message from someone you don’t know or from a trusted contact asking for something unusual, don’t click on any links or share any information. Instead, contact the person directly through another channel to confirm that they sent the message.

Phishing is a type of cyberattack that involves sending fake or deceptive messages or links that trick you into revealing your personal information or credentials. Hackers may use phishing techniques to hack your WhatsApp account by pretending to be someone you know or trust, such as a friend, family member, colleague, or official entity.

Be wary of suspicious messages such as the one above.

Be wary of suspicious messages such as the one above.

  1. Never share your WhatsApp verification code with anyone: Your WhatsApp verification code is a unique code sent to your phone when you register for WhatsApp or log in to your account from a new device. This code is used to verify that you own the account. Never share your verification code with anyone, even if they claim to be from WhatsApp.
  1. Keep your WhatsApp app and phone up to date. WhatsApp regularly releases updates that patch security vulnerabilities. Make sure to install these updates as soon as they are available.
  1. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your WhatsApp account by requiring you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password when logging in. To enable 2FA, go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification.

You should also use a strong PIN for two-step verification. Do not use simple or apparent sequences like 123456, 000000, or 111111. Do not use your birthday, phone number, or other personal information as your PIN. Do not write down or share your PIN with anyone.

  1. If you think your WhatsApp account may have been hacked, you should take the following steps immediately:
  • Log out of your WhatsApp account on all devices. You can do this by going to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Unlink Devices.
  • Change your WhatsApp password. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Tap your profile picture > Tap the menu icon (three dots) > Tap Change password.
  • Enable 2FA if you haven’t already.
  • Report the hack to WhatsApp. You can do this via WhatsApp Settings > Help > Contact Us.

These tips can help protect yourself from WhatsApp hacking and keep your account safe.

  1. Additional tips:
  • Be careful about what information you share on WhatsApp. Avoid sharing personal information such as your address, phone number, or date of birth.
  • Be careful about the groups you join. Hackers may create fake groups to trick users into joining and steal their data.
  • Be careful about the files you download from WhatsApp. Only download files from people you know and trust.
  • If you see anything suspicious on WhatsApp, report it to WhatsApp immediately.

Being vigilant and taking the necessary precautions can help keep yourself and your WhatsApp account safe from hackers.

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.

Fact-check: The United Nations isn’t running a peace and security gift in South Sudan

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The online message claiming that the United Nations is running a peace and security gift program of SSP 100,000 is a hoax.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A widely circulated WhatsApp message stating that the United Nations (UN) is running a peace and security gift programme of SSP 100,000 is a hoax.

Screenshot of the forwarded message.

Upon clicking the forwarded link, the website claims that the United Nations (UN) has a peace and security gift programme and directs users to a questionnaire that asks about their knowledge of the United Nations (UN), their age, their opinion about the United Nations (UN), and their gender.

The screenshot of the questionnaire

After answering the four questions, users are instructed to randomly select one of six boxes to win the prize potentially.

The screenshots of the claim web pages

The website then states that participants must share the promotion with five groups or 20 friends on WhatsApp, provide an address for registration, and wait for the gift to be delivered within 5-7 days.

Web pages on the impostor’s website

Claim Verification:

A Google Keyword Search using “United Nations – peace and security gift” yielded no results for such a program or subsidy.

Further investigation revealed that the website’s Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link provided in the claim is flagged as Phishing, Malicious, and containing Malware by VirusTotal, a free service that analyses files and URLs for viruses, worms, trojans, and other types of malicious content.

A Whois domain search of the website’s URL shows that the domain name, which differs from the UN’s domain, was registered in May 2023 and will expire in May 2024.

The screenshot of the claim link’s domain data

On the other hand, the WhoIs information on the UN’s official global website reveals that its domain was registered in January 1995 and will expire in February 2024.

The screenshot of the UN WhoIs data

Additionally, the website domain name https://www.u3rv61e.cn does not align with the URLs typically used by official organisations or institutions, which usually feature ‘.org’ in their URLs, as is the case with the legitimate United Nations Website.

It is evident that the domain does not match the official UN website, and there is no advertisement for such a program on the UN’s website or social media accounts.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim that the UN is running a peace and security gift program, a hoax devised as a phishing scam to trick people into providing their personal information.

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 picture is not of a South Sudanese man in Gudele, Juba

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The picture has been online since August 2023, but its origin is unknown.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A photo shared in a post by Top in South Sudan, a Facebook page allegedly showing a man in Gudele, Juba, is false.

Gudele is a large neighbourhood in South Sudan’s capital Juba City.

“Gudele Man shared an amazing picture of himself and his bestie watching the music video “RELAX”….,” claims Top in South Sudan’s post.

211 Check investigation reveals that the photo shared by the page was not captured in Gudele, as claimed. 

The photo has been posted multiple times on various social media platforms by different media houses, indicating its widespread usage.

Screenshot of the Facebook post by Top in South Sudan

Claim Verification:

Upon investigation, it was found that the claim made by the Top in South Sudan Facebook page is false. Our research indicates that the photo shared by the page was not captured in Gudele, as they claim. 

A simple Google reverse image search revealed that multiple media houses have used the same photo across different social media platforms. This indicates that the photo in question is not exclusive to Gudele Man or the Top in South Sudan Facebook page. 

Several media outlets have shared the same picture in various contexts, such as travel articles, lifestyle features, and unrelated news stories. 

The photo has been circulating on the internet for some time and has no direct correlation to the claimed scenario of a man in Gudele, Juba, watching a music video.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim in a post by the Top in South Sudan Facebook page, allegedly a photo of a man in Gudele, Juba, false. The photo shared was not taken in Gudele, as claimed, and has been widely circulated across various social media platforms by different media houses.

Online fact-checking tools such as Google Reverse Image Search can help identify an image’s source and usage history. Users must exercise caution and verify claims before sharing or accepting them as true.

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: These pictures of flooding in Unity State are old

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The pictures are from 2022 floods.

Writer: Abraham Athian 

A Facebook post by Bentiu TV allegedly showing photos of a recent flooding incident in Unity State is false. 

The post was published with the caption, “These pictures really make some people happy?” on September 9, 2023.

A screenshot of the Facebook post by Bentiu TV

The post drew the attention of many of the page’s audience, some of whom thought the pictures were of a flooding report in September 2023, garnering 129 likes, 34 comments, and six shares, which made it relevant enough to be checked. 

Claim Verification:

A Google search engine shows that a picture of a plane on water has been online since 2022. South Sudan Eagle Media posted it on X (formerly Twitter). A post read, “The images of Bentiu and Rukona on Unity State floods”. On October 9, 2022.

A screenshot of a post from South Sudan Eagle Media 

The same picture is also on the New Hope Foundation website. Moreover, the other pictures were also posted on the UNHCR  website in July 2023, clearly showing that these pictures were collected from different pages.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds a Facebook post allegedly showing pictures of a recent flooding incident in Unity State false. The pictures are from 2022 floods. 

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: WhatsApp picture with Nigerian Airtel number can’t kill

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The image was taken in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2019 and is unrelated to picking calls from a specific Nigerian Airtel number.

Writer: Abraham Athian 

A picture shared with a Nigerian Airtel number on several WhatsApp groups alleging that it can kill you when you answer a call from that number is a hoax.

The photo with the number claimed to have killed people who answered the call from it was shared on several WhatsApp groups on September 9, 2023, with the caption: “pls dnt pick dis number 09072256632, dnt be selfish, send it 2 all ur friends, pls save life”. 

The picture was widely shared in WhatsApp groups. 

It has caused fear and worry for many WhatsApp users, including myself, so 211 Check took the time to investigate and verify its accuracy so that it cannot mislead others who may come across it. 

Claim Verification:

A Google Reverse Image Search shows that the picture was taken in Nigeria, in Lagos, and has been online since 2019. On January 16, 2019, the  Ng Daily News published it.  The only paper that can be traced on the internet has the story featuring the image with the headline “Eiye Cultists Kill Man For Mingling With Aiye Gang Members In Lagos“.

The article explains who was killed and why they killed him. It goes on to name him as ‘Afeez, a barber in the Mile 12 area of Lagos State. The incident, which caused apprehension in the community, occurred on January 6, 2019, at Akorounfayo Street, Mile 12.

The leader of the Aiye Confraternity, identified as Timo, was killed on Thursday of that week at Moro Junction, also in the Mile 12 area, according to the news report.

“The barber had locked his shop and was about to go home when the Eiye cult group members, who rode on motorbikes to his shop, shot at him and escaped.” Immediately after they shot him, the cultists escaped. After the attack, some Aiye members said Afeez was killed because they usually sat in his shop.

“Unfortunately, he was not a cult member. It was because of the snooker they usually play in his shop that they thought he was an Aiye member. They have wasted an innocent boy for nothing.

A screenshot of the image used by Ng Daily News.

On a separate search for this number, 09072256632, the True Caller website shows that the number is harmless. It has made 37 calls, 289 spam reports, 2,127 look-ups, and 65% pick-up rates in Nigeria.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim in a picture shared in different WhatsApp groups, purportedly causing death after picking up a call from a Nigerian Airtel number written on it,  a  hoax. The picture was taken in Lagos, Nigeria, and first published by the Ng Daily News in January 2019 of an incident involving a killing by a gang group. The culture of spreading fake news by sharing without verification is not good. It can cause harm to the public.

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 picture is not of a house found in Jinja, Eastern Uganda

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The picture shows a house found on Riat Hills, along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway in Kenya, and has been on the internet since 2020.

Writer: Jibi Moses

A picture making rounds on the internet, claiming to be found in Jinja and built by a Kadama, is false. The picture, which was posted by Klia Media.ug on September 7, 2023, claims to show a building purportedly built by a  Kadama who works in Saudi Arabia and that she built it in Jinja, Eastern Uganda.

“Another KADAMA from Saudi Arabia, abikoze. 3 year contract in Saudi, congs Racheal from Jinja,” The post reads in part. Kadama is a slang term commonly used in Uganda, referring to someone who works in the Middle East—mainly the causal labourers and housekeepers.

Therefore, the translated post loosely means, “Another causal worker from Saudi Arabia has done it—a 3-year contract in Saudi Arabia. Congratulations, Racheal, from Jinja.”

We also see that the same page recently posted a picture of a house and attributed it to Aisha, who he says works in Saudi Arabia as a kadama. 

The post attracted 208 reactions, 51 comments, and nine shares in 24 hours. However, some comments were critical of the poster and raised suspicion, prompting 211 Check to investigate.

A screenshot of the post by Klia Media.ug.

Investigation:

A Google Reverse Image Search confirms some of the facts in the comments, as the results come with the headline, Kisumu Highway House. Bing also has the same picture, explaining its location on Kisumu Highway.

On July 30, 2020, Afande Rafiki posted this picture on his Facebook profile, followed by a caption explaining the building on Riat Hills.

 The haunted home at Riat Hills, along the Kisumu-Kiboswa-Kakamega road It belongs to a single lady. The home, abandoned since 2014 due to incessant robbery attacks, sits in an area literally known as “The Gangster Paradise”. partially read his caption.

A screenshot of the post on Afande Rafiki 

Willie Oeba, on June 11, 2021, on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, tweeted this picture with a caption in the form of a question, “Where in Kenya is this house?”

On February 19, 2022, Malley tweeted this picture on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “This must be the most talked about house in Kenya.” His tweet attracted 905 reposts, 109 quotes, 9010 likes, and 104 bookmarks.

A Google Word Search for the words “a haunted house along Kisumu-Kakamega highway”  brought multiple results of the same picture of the house and different but related headlines, all explaining it is in Kenya, in Riat Hills, along Kisumu-Kakamega highway.

Many sites have reported on this house in the picture since 2020; some of them are here,   here, here, and here. As much as all the evidence shows that this house is in Kenya, there is no clear evidence to prove its owner.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim that the picture of a house circulating on social media is found in Jinja and was built by a Kadama to be false. This image shows a house found on Riat Hills along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway in Kenya and has been on the internet since 2020.

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: Did this plane crash in Munuki Miya Saba?

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No, the incident happened in Malawi.

Writer: Beatrice Amude Paulino

A post shared on Facebook on 25 August 2023 claims that an aircraft overturned in Munuki Miya Saba, a local neighbourhood in Juba, South Sudan, but this is false. 

The post is accompanied by an image of an overturned plane in an open field with onlookers nearby. 

Screenshot of the Facebook post by Yei town celebrity gossip

211 Check Investigation:

According to a Google Reverse Image Search, the image was first published on August 22, 2023, and the incident happened in a village near Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi.

According to the Malawi Freedom Network, the Civil Aviation Department was investigating the cause of the plane crash which involved a light aircraft from EastRise Academy. 

Further, Malawi 24, an online news source, stated, “The people on the plane were an Instructor and a Student pilot.”

Screenshot from the Malawi24 news site. 

The incident was also reported here and here. 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim that an aircraft crashed in Munuki Miya Saba, a local neighbourhood in Juba, South Sudan, to be false. Our investigation shows that the plane crashed in a village in Lilongwe, Malawi.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

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.

Fighting misinformation and disinformation in the media is crucial to 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 picture of two police officers kissing wasn’t taken in Juba

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No, the image was taken in Tanzania and has been used by various media houses since October 2014.

Writer: Jibi Moses 

A picture shared on Facebook of two police officers, a male and a female, kissing while donning uniforms is not from Juba, South Sudan.  

The photo claimed to have been taken in Juba, was shared by Juba Eye on August 22, 2023, and was captioned, “I love Juba traffic police; they too love themselves. Do you love your traffic police officers on Juba Streets?”

Screenshot of the picture used by Juba Eye

It had garnered 199 reactions, 43 comments, and two shares at publication. However, the comments had mixed reactions, which prompted an investigation. Some comments rained insults on the traffic police, undermining their integrity. 

The screenshot of the post by Juba Eye shows some of the comments.

Investigation:

A Reverse Image Search shows that the picture was taken in Tanzania and has been online since 2014.

On October 14, 2014, the Independent newspaper published a story featuring the image with the headline ‘Kissing Tanzanian police officers fired after photograph goes viral’. The article explains who the dismissed officers were. It goes on to name them Asumba Mwasumbi, Veronic Mdeme, and Fadhiri Linga, who took the picture, and says that they were dismissed for breaking the code of conduct of the police. 

Screenshot of the image used by the independent Newspaper

Bella Naija, a Nigerian site, also featured the same picture in a story with a similar headline on October 14, 2014. 

Further, the internet is filled with a lot of reports that clearly explain the origin of the picture, as seen from searches on Yandex and Google Lens, and some of the sources include The France 24 Observers and 9news.com

Conclusion:

211 Check found that the picture shared on Facebook of two police officers kissing while donning uniforms is not from Juba, South Sudan. The image was taken in Tanzania and has been used by various media houses since October 2014. Spreading misinformation like this is not okay; it can spoil the reputation and image of the forces and lead to mistrust from the population.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

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 a video of a Nigerien soldier preparing for the ECOWAS joint forces?

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No, the video is of a South Sudanese soldier, Col. Angui Karbino Kuanyin, and has been on the internet since 2019.

Writer: Jibi Moses

A video going viral on X (formerly Twitter) supposedly showing a Nigerien soldier shooting bullets into his mouth and spitting them out is misleading. 

In the video, a soldier has two guns, shoots bullets into his mouth and spits them on the ground.

The post accompanying the video is about the ECOWAS intervention in Niger. It reads: “Here’s a Niger soldier displaying his military prowess using black magic as Ecowas prepares to invade the sovereign nation. We’re sitting on a time bomb in West Africa; no one is safe.”

It was shared on August 19, 2023, and attracted 486 Reposts, 71 quotes, 713 likes, 109 bookmarks, and 113.9K views. The video also attracted a lot of comments, with some claiming it was from Uganda. 

The video was also shared on X by another user on the same day with the same claim.

Screenshot of the tweet as shared on X

Investigation:

From a keyword search using the words:  ‘A man shoots himself and spits out the bullets,’  211 Check found that the video has been on the internet for a long time, seemingly first appearing on July 24, 2019. Reports about the incident appeared on different news outlets in different countries. 

France24’s Observers published the story on July 26, 2019 with the headline “South Sudan colonel shoots himself on video: how he faked it.”

The article identifies the man in the video as Col. Angui Karbino Kuanyin. 

“The colonel in the video is Angui Karbino Kuanyin. Kuanyin comes from a well-known military family; he is the son of General Kerubino Kuanyin Bol, one of the leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, who died back in 1999,” reads parts of the report. 

Screenshot of the article by Observers France24

Likewise, on July 24, 2019, Special Broadcasting Service also published an article with an audio interview in Dinka in which Kuanyin explained how and why he shot himself.

Kuanyin explained the idea behind the video in an interview with Australian media outlet SBS:

“Many people around me didn’t believe I could do that. So I told them to come, and they filmed me doing it. I didn’t want the video to end up online, but other people posted it.

Why did I do it? Every day, people threaten President Kiir. I wanted to show people we can protect the president whenever and wherever. I don’t think it is a crime, but I will go before a court if the president thinks it is.

Lots of people criticised me and said that I was using fake bullets. But they are real bullets! I’m extending the invitation to anyone who wants to come with his or her own weapon and try to prove that I am lying. I have lots of similar videos that I can show you.”

Additionally, on April 2, 2021, Tori Ng News published the story with the headline ‘Meet the African Soldier Who Stops Bullet With His Mouth (Video).

Other sources also clarified the soldier’s origin as being from South Sudan, as seen here, here, here, and here.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds that the video circulating on social media claiming to be of a Nigerien soldier is false. The video is of a South Sudanese soldier, Col. Angui Karbino Kuanyin, and has been on the internet since 2019.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

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.

Fighting misinformation and disinformation in the media is crucial to 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 Radisson Blu Hotel Juba conducting massive recruitment?

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 No, it is a scam. Radisson Blu Hotel in Juba is not conducting mass recruitment, as claimed by an impostor Facebook page. 

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A Facebook page job advertisement that claimed to be from Radisson Blu Hotel, Juba, is a hoax by fraudsters.

The job advertisement, posted on the 28th of August 2023, claimed to offer more than ten different positions using a designed Google application form.

“We are presently seeking committed and industrious individuals to occupy open job positions within our hotel established. Interested individuals should learn more and apply,” reads part of the statement posted alongside the link to the Google application form.

Screenshot of the recruitment scam as posted on Facebook

Suspicious activity:

The fraudulent Facebook page was created on the 27th of August, 2023, and on the 28th, posted about the availability of job vacancies at the hotel according to the page’s profile transparency. The page has no official contacts for email and phone numbers, including the website address, which is unusual for a business entity like the continental hotel.

The Google-designed form link, when clicked, unveils 14 available positions, which include stock controller, waiters/waitresses, receptionists, cleaners, drivers, Cooks, cashiers, accounts clerks, restaurant managers, pastry Chef, gardeners, masseuses, and laundry attendants.

The application form can be filled out using an applicant’s full name, ID number, phone number, email address, gender category, level of education, position, current employment status, work experience, and references before submitting.

Verification:

211 Check reached out to the management of Radisson Blu Hotel Juba via email for inquiry and verification to ascertain the authenticity of the Facebook page job advertisement. However, it turned out that the job advertisement was a scam and fraudulent.

“We are seriously following up on this matter. We have also made [an] announcement to create awareness to the public at large on the ongoing recruitment scam and fraudulent activity,” reads an email correspondent from the management of Radisson Blu Hotel Juba to 211 Check.

“It has come to our attention that there is an ongoing recruitment scam…claiming to represent Radisson Blu Juba, promising job opportunities at our hotel. The safety and security of our community are of utmost importance to us. We want to assure all our valued followers that this is fraudulent activity, and we are taking immediate action to address the situation,” said Radisson Blu Hotel Juba in a statement it made to the public and was also shared with 211 Check.

The Radisson Blu Juba statement was made public to denounce the fake job advert

Findings:

There is no such advert on the website of the Radisson Blu Hotel Juba, and the social media platforms of the hotel have no advertisement of different positions as the Fake Facebook page claimed.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds that the Facebook page job advert claiming to represent Radisson Blu Hotel Juba is a scam designed by fraudsters to collect their personal information. 

Radisson Blu Hotel Juba management confirmed to 211 Check in an email that the Facebook job advert was not from their institution but a “recruitment scam and fraudulent activity.”

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.