A recent investigation by PesaCheck, a fact-checking initiative, has revealed that a claim of Orange Money offering 15,000 CFA francs to its subscribers in celebration of its 15th anniversary is false. The scam, which was circulating on the internet, prompted users to participate in a survey and share the offer with others to win the prize.
According to William Nlembe, Managing Director of Orange Money Cameroon, the offer is a hoax. He stated that Orange Money was launched in Cameroon in September 2011 in partnership with BICEC, but there is no reward offer for its anniversary. Nlembe emphasized that all genuine offers and promotional campaigns are published on Orange Money's official platforms.
PesaCheck analyzed the fake website and found that it was designed to mimic a legitimate survey, asking participants to provide personal details and share the offer with others. The website prompted users to choose from nine boxes, with a limit of three attempts to win. After completing the survey, users were congratulated and informed that they were among the winners, but were required to share the offer with five groups or 20 friends to claim their prize.
Further investigation by PesaCheck using the Whois reference tool revealed that the domain data of the fake website did not match that of the official Orange Money Cameroon website. This suggests that the fake website was created to scam unsuspecting users. PesaCheck has previously debunked similar phishing scams.
PesaCheck's investigation is part of its ongoing efforts to verify facts and identify misinformation on social media platforms. The organization partners with Facebook and other social media platforms to help users distinguish between fact and fiction. PesaCheck's work aims to provide the public with a deeper understanding of the content they see on social media.
The fact-checking initiative was carried out by PesaCheck's fact-checker Stéphane Eyock and edited by Josaphat Finogbé. The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck's editor-in-chief, Doreen Wainainah. PesaCheck is an initiative of Code for Africa, with support from the Deutsche Welle Akademie, and partners with local African media and civic organizations.
PesaCheck's work focuses on verifying public statements about finances and testing the accuracy of media reports. The organization aims to help the public separate fact from fiction in public statements about finances that shape the delivery of public services related to sustainable development goals.
Key points
- The fake offer was a scam designed to obtain personal details and money from unsuspecting users.
- Orange Money's genuine offers and promotional campaigns are published on its official platforms.
- PesaCheck's investigation used the Whois reference tool to verify the domain data of the fake website.
