Beware! Website asking Nigerians to apply for COVID-19 relief fund is fraudulent

CLAIM: A post on WhatsApp is asking Nigerians to apply for COVID-19 relief fund provided by the Federal Government.

 VERDICT: FALSE.

FULL TEXT: A message on WhatsApp forwarded to a group is asking Nigerians to apply for COVID-19 relief fund which was made available by the Federal Government.

The message titled: “Apply For The Covid-19 Relief Fund Provided By The Federal Government. Hurry Up, It takes few seconds to apply. Dont miss this opportunity. Apply Here https://bit.ly/COVID-19_SUPPORT_FUND.”

This post directs unsuspecting Nigeria to this website using a shortened URL https://bit.ly/COVID-19_SUPPORT_FUND which further directs to https://covid19relief.get-lt.xyz/#1619979914968, made from a string of alphanumeric characters.

On clicking the website, one will be welcomed by a large inscription which read “STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION GLOBAL RELIEF INITIATIVE FOR THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”, a cloned Facebook post that shows supposed beneficiaries of the relief fund testifying to the authenticity of the fund/website.

It also has information that reads “  CONGRATULATIONS To receive the Covid-19 Relief Fund provided by the Federal Government.  Answer the following three questions to Continue!”

Most of the information contains grammatical errors.

VERIFICATION: Tribune Online accessed the website and answered the questions. The first question says “Question 1 of 3: Choose Your Age Range?”, the second question reads “Question 2 of 3 questions: Confirm The Amount You Want To Receive” and the last question “Question 3 of 3 questions: What is Your Employment Status?” Tribune Online provided false answers to these questions in order to access other pages of the form.

The next step requires one to share the information about the relief fund with 15 friends or 5 groups on WhatsApp and a warning which indicates that one won’t get the fund without sharing.

The step read: “After considering your answers, you have qualified to receive the relief fund. Complete the steps to obtain the withdrawal code. You may get the support fund with only one step, kindly click the “Invite Friends/Group” button below to share this information with 15 friends or 5 groups on WhatsApp so That They Can Aslo Benefit.

“After sending the invitation, click the “Get withdrawal code” button: Note: If you do not complete this step correctly, you will not receive the support fund.”

Tribune Online clicked on invite friends/group and it automatically asks you to open your app.

Further checks on the Stavros Niarchos Foundation global relief initiative for the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that such initiative truly exists but can be accessed through this website https://www.snf.org/en/initiatives/covid-19-relief/ which aims to provide wide-ranging aid to organisations delivering key education, food, and social services in U.S., Europe, and Africa.

CONCLUSION: Based on findings, the Federal Government is not asking Nigerians to apply for a relief fund and information asking one to do so is false.

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Fake Website Asking N-Power Candidates To Verify If They Have Been Shortlisted For N30,700 Grant

CLAIM: A viral post on WhatsApp is asking N-Power candidates to verify if they have been shortlisted to receive ₦30,700 Batch C grant

VERDICT: FALSE. Registration can make you lose your WhatsApp account to scammers.

FULL TEXT: A viral post on WhatsApp is asking N-Power candidates to verify the status of their application and see if they have been shortlisted for the batch C cash grant…Beware! Website asking Nigerians to apply for COVID-19 relief fund is fraudulent

Beware! Website asking Nigerians to apply for COVID-19 relief fund is fraudulent