IMAGE: Namibia Fact Check / WhatsApp
A post falsely claiming that the United Nations World Food Programme is providing ‘cash assistance’ for completing a survey is circulating
From what Namibia Fact Check can gather, the post started circulating in WhatsApp groups around mid-May 2024 and was still going around towards the end of the month. The post was forwarded to Namibia Fact Check around the same time that it appears to have started circulating.
The post was forwarded from a job-seekers group with over 900 members to Namibia Fact Check on 17 May 2024, and it was quickly established that it was a phishing scam post.
The text that accompanied the post read: “Through the questionnaire, you will have a chance to get $14,393.60.”
The post (image below) contains a link and an emblem which is not an official link and not the official emblem of the World Food Programme (WFP).
The link does not redirect to the official WFP website, but rather clicks through to a questionnaire or survey-type page that phishing scammers like to use.
As is standard with these types of scams, the victim is requested to provide personal information – such as whether they are male or female, how old they are, and their personal contact details – in order to stand a chance to benefit from the “cash assistance” scheme.
The victim is also requested to share the scam post in five different groups or with 20 friends in order to get their “gifts” within 5 – 7 days (see image below).
WFP response
When approached for comment in late May 2024 on the circulating post, the WFP Regional Communications Officer for Southern Africa, Tomson Phiri, indicated that they were aware of the post.
In an email response Phiri, who is based out of Johannesburg, South Africa, stated there is no cash assistance scheme run by the WFP.
“WFP does not offer compensation or financial rewards for participating in surveys and advises members of the public to be careful of scams and fraudulent promotions currently circulating online,” Phiri stated.
While investigating the post, Namibia Fact Check found that a similar post and link had been circulating in Zimbabwean WhatsApp groups in late 2023, and was debunked by Zimbabwean fact checking service FactCheckZW on 11 October 2023.