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Beware! ‘Tinubu Support Fund’ post in circulation is FALSE

A WhatsApp post in circulation says Bola Tinubu Support Organisation (BTSO) is giving out N25,000 to every Nigerian citizen.

The post, retrieved from a WhatsApp group, claimed that the newly increased fund is part of the Tinubu Support Grant, adding that it is available for all Nigerians who click the link and fill out the form.

The claim reads:

TINUBU SUPPORT ORGANIZATION 2022

Hurry Now and Check if You are Eligible to Receive N25,000( Newly Increased ) Support Fund As Part Of TINUBU Support Grant.

This Grant Is Available To All Nigerians

Apply Here

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, had on January 10, 2022, declared his intention to contest the presidential poll in Nigeria’s 2023 general election, Premium Times reported.

Earlier in March 2021, the Bola Tinubu Support Organisation (BTSO) was inaugurated in Abuja, The Nation newspaper had reported.

The BTSO claimed on its website that it is “a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the aim galvanizing support round the country for the actualization of 2023 Presidential Candidature of His Excellency, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, The Asiwaju of Lagos, and The Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom.”

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THE CLAIM

Tinubu [Bola Tinubu Support Organisation] is inviting Nigerian citizens to apply for the Bola Tinubu Support Organization Funds.

 

A screenshot of the phishing website.
A screenshot of the phishing website.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

A click on the link, archived here, directs users to a website with an image of Bola Tinubu and some texts about BTSO alongside an instruction: “Get Your Own ₦25,000 Which Was Previously ₦19,800 By Filling The Form Below”.

It directs users to fill in their names, mobile numbers, home addresses and email addresses. Once those details are filled and submitted, it directs users to a totally different website archived here.

When the redirected website was subjected to verification on Whois lookup – a platform for researching domain ownership, it revealed that the website was registered by one Shadrack Ebimodeinghan Ebisco.

A look at the website the claim directs users to has similar features with the websites The FactCheckHub has verified and found to be false hereherehere, and here.

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Similarly, Comrade Abubakar Kuso, the National Coordinator of BTSO had earlier in a post on its official website debunked the claim.

“This is to inform the general public that at no time did Bola Tinubu Support Organization (BTSO) gives out any N25,000 or any amount as grant to Nigerians. The link circulating on social media is FAKE and NOT TRUE.
Please kindly disregard the link and don’t provide your details by applying for any grant,” he wrote.

When The FactCheckHub reached out to Ebisco via his mobile number retrieved from the database of Whois, he denied creating the phishing website.

“I’m not the person that created it. Someone just used my name to create it. I don’t know anything about it. I registered my website on NameCheap and not whogohost,” he told The FactCheckHub via phone.



Avoid falling victim to phishing scams 

Over time, The FactCheckHub have debunked several of such claims hiding under the guise of recruitment, support fund, empowerment programme, a government activity or free internet data.

These claims usually follow a similar modus operandi by targeting areas that would be of interest to a lot of persons.




     

     

    They are often shared via the WhatsApp platform. Oftentimes, they impersonate a group, person or organisation and they all have a link they ask people to click.

    You can also read The FactCheckHub article on how to Fact-check viral posts shared via WhatsApp.

    THE VERDICT

    The claim that Tinubu [Bola Tinubu Support Organisation] is inviting Nigerian citizens to apply for the Bola Tinubu Support Organization Funds is FALSE.

    This is republished from the FactCheckHub.

    Opeyemi Kehinde is a Professional Fact-Checker, Multimedia Journalist, and Editor of the FactCheckHub - the fact-checking arm of the ICIR.

    He can be reached via email: okehinde@icirnigeria.org OR kennysous@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter via: @kennysous.

    Omolola Pedro is a Reporter/ Fact-Checker at The International Centre for Investigative Reporting. She believes in a society that is fair to all. She has deep interest in Gender Equality, Social Justice, and protection of human rights.

    You can reach out to her via mail opedro@icirnigeria.org, Twitter:@pedro_omolola

    Join the ICIR WhatsApp channel for in-depth reports on the economy, politics and governance, and investigative reports.

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    26 COMMENTS

    1. I need Capital for business pls contact 09030657117 ,. Up Tinibu

    2. Please tell the government to stop Designed fake and false post or to circulate what ever the think to impressed other or citizen of Nigeria if them want to do the right thing let them do for the sake of the people and for the sake of government

    3. Haven’t share with ur friends nothing, is better u people should stop all this laying, if someone want to vote for him they will not untill they send all this fake news to people why

    4. I pray God should protect the life of the innocent people in Nigeria. And I am begging the kidnappers to live our religious leaders alone and face those that cause the hardship for the nation. I did not mention name ohh. They know themselves.

    5. I want you to become the president of this country but before then pls support me… Put me in Nigerian police academy kano wudil this is my contact for further notice 08020613315 pls call

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