Summary: A link containing a message that Afriland First Bank is giving out $129,840.00 under the “National Poverty Relief Fund” has been going viral in recent days. Our fact-check found the link to be fake.
In the last few days, social media users have been sharing a link, which contains a message that Afriland First Bank is engaging in a nationwide subsidy scheme.
The viral link offers users questionnaires to respond to, claiming that once they answer them correctly, they will automatically benefit from a whopping $129,840.00. The meage is not clear which currency will be given out.
The Claim
Here are the exact words contained in the link: “Afriland First Bank National Poverty Relief Fund. Through the questionnaire, you will have a chance to get $129,840.00.”
Rating Justification
To verify the link, we tested the link by deliberately answering the four questions wrongly but was taken to the next stage for successfully answering the questions.
In the next option, the fact checker was asked to select a box, which contained his gifts amongst the several boxes presented.
When he selected one of the boxes and click it, he was informed that he has won $129,840.00 with three preconditions: 1. He must tell 5 groups or 20 friends about the promotion. 2. He must enter his address and complete registration. 3. He will receive his gifts withing 5 to 7 days.
Our Fact Checker also analyzed the link using an online tool, Scamdoc. This tool evaluates “digital identities” reliability — email address or website.
The tool analyses the viral link’s trust index and declares it as “very bad”, warning that only experience users should click on it.
A further verify the link, we found a notice on the bank’s official Facebook Page, cautioning customers against clicking on the link.
An excerpt from the Bank’s message reads: “We wish to inform our esteemed costumers and the general public that we have not organized such an online scheme”.
Conclusion
Based on our analyses of the link and the warning obtained from Afriland First Bank, we conclude that the viral link with a claim that the Bank is giving out $129,84.00 as a subsidy is fake. We based our verdict on an analysis of the link and a review of a notice by the bank cautioning its customers from opening the link.
