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| - A claim has been circulating via Short Messaging Services (SMS) that Saliu Mustapha, the Kwara Central Senator-elect is giving out N10,000 as an election reward scheme.
The claim was widely circulated through text messages sent randomly to phone numbers belonging to some Kwara indigenes.
READ : False claim circulates that Ademola Adeleke is giving out N10,000 grants to Nigerians
A message received by an MTN user, who is a Kwara indigene, from a sender named Register on February 4, 2023 directed people to click a link in the text message to claim their reward.
The claim reads:
“10,000 from Mallam Soliu Mustapha appreciation funds for the successful of the election, claim yours. Apply now: https://lyupz.com/MSM-appreciation-funds.org.”
CLAIM
Saliu Mustapha is giving out N10,000 as appreciation funds for successful election.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub shows that the claim is FALSE.
When the web link in the text message was subjected to verification, the result shows that it’s typically a phishing website.
A click on the link will take users to a website which asks users to fill in their personal details excluding bank information, and then ask them to click the “apply” button.
Further click on the ‘apply’ button will pop up three questions, asking users to answer them. They questions are: which party won the 2023 presidential election, what is your marital status and what is the name of newly elected Kwara Central senator.
After answering the questions, users will be asked to input their phone number and share the link to 15 different friends or 5 WhatsApp groups to claim the N10,000 fund. After submission, it takes users back to the registration page for another round of registration similar to the initial one.
The FactCheckHub had earlier published tutorial on how to identify phishing scams and websites. You can read it here.
In addition, Saliu Mustapha’s media office has debunked the claim in a press statement.
The Senator-elect’s media office said that the alleged scheme labelled “Sen. Soliu Mustapha N10,000 Complimentary Fund” is operated by unknown fraudsters who could not even spell the candidate’s name correctly.
READ ALSO : FALSE claim circulates online that FG is giving out COVID-19 ‘survival fund grant’
The statement partly reads: “According to information at our disposal, the fraudsters behind the scheme asked unsuspecting members to apply for a token of appreciation following Mallam Saliu Mustapha’s election victory.
“The media office of the Senator-elect refutes the alleged scheme and any other claims made in this manner.”
THE VERDICT
The claim that Saliu Mustapha is giving out N10,000 as an appreciation fund for successful election is FALSE; findings revealed that it’s a phishing scam.
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