Image: Namibia Fact Check / WhatsApp
Viral messages circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook are promoting another fake Namibian government cash grant to lure people into a phishing scam.
The posts claim that all Namibians can access a N$1,600 ‘Social Assistance Cash Grant’ under a “Poverty Alleviation Fund for the Unemployed”.
The posts and messages were flagged to Namibia Fact Check in mid-September 2025.
The post shared in WhatsApp groups includes an image of Namibian leaders, the logos of local banks and a link to an online questionnaire. The post reads:
“Don’t miss this N$1600 SOCIAL ASSISTANCE CASH GRANT – For All NAMIBIANS. Visit the link below and answer the following questions and you will receive N$1600 Empowerment Funds instantly Today. I just got mine.”
The link in the post goes to the following webpage, which is not an official Namibian government or bank webpage:
The Facts
All the usual signs of this being a phishing scam are apparent.
No such government grant exists
Namibia’s Ministry of Finance, as well as the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, have not announced any new universal N$1,600 cash grants. The Namibian government does provide social grants, such as the old-age pension and disability grants, which were recently increased to N$1,600. However, these grants are only accessed through official, offline channels and are not linked to online quizzes or viral social media promotions, and the money is paid out at designated points, not through an “instant cash transfer” linked to a website.
The web link is fake
The link provided (get-help-today.site) is not an official Namibian government or bank domain. Genuine Namibian government websites end in .na (e.g., gov.na). The same applies to Namibian banks.
Use of bank logos is misleading
The viral post includes the logos of Namibian banks (FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, etc.), but none of these institutions have announced involvement in such a scheme. Their logos are clearly being abused to make the scam appear credible.
Bad language and grammar
This is probably the clearest and easiest sign to spot a phishing scam. The post is littered with grammatical mistakes and bad English formulation.
These scams follow a known pattern and template. Namibia Fact Check has over the years debunked numerous similar fake cash grant scams promising ‘free funds’ or ’empowerment money’. These scams typically lead victims to phishing sites designed to steal banking information or private personal data.
Our Verdict
This is a phishing scam and Namibian social media users are cautioned to be careful of engaging with such online content or just clicking on links in viral posts. Similarly, such posts should not be forwarded or shared until the information in them has been verified as accurate and credible.
Namibians should refrain from easily and uncritically sharing private, personal information via social media and messaging platforms.