Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  

Amnon Free Press Partner Content

No, it is a hoax. WFP is not giving out any cash transfers, as an impostor website claims. 

Writer: Rufina Isaac

WhatsApp messages claiming the World Food Programme (WFP) is giving cash assistance are a hoax.

The link claims to be from the World Food Programme and provides cash assistance through a questionnaire, after which one will get up to $800.00. 

Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  
Screenshot of the link being circulated on WhatsApp

On clicking the link, a congratulations message appears with a picture of a man who is seen to be handing a woman some papers. This is the beginning of the questionnaire, though, whereby they ask whether you know WFP, your age bracket, gender, and how you feel about WFP. 

At this point, a congratulatory message opens with nine boxes where you are meant to choose one lucky boc with the price. After all this, you are meant to share it with five groups or 20 people.

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Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  
Screenshot of the webpage for the link solicited on WhatsApp

Claim Verification:

With all suspicion, 211 Check investigated the link, scanning the URL using online Virus Total. This free online tool helps you determine the safety of links to online viruses and other scams. Six security vendors flagged the URL as malicious, phishing, and suspicious. 

Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  
       Screenshot of the virus total of the claimed URL.

Another scan was run through Whois.com, a publicly available database containing domain name registration information. A search for both websites returns two different results, as seen here and here, the second being the genuine website for the World Food Programme.

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Specifically, the link for World Food Programme Cash Transfers explains everything clearly without needing to answer any questionnaire.

Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  
Whois Information for the fake domain claiming to be WFP
Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  
The original WFP domain is wfp.org, which was registered in 1994. 
Fact-check: Is the World Food Programme giving out $800,000 to organisations?  
The original website of WFP Cash Transfers 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds a WhatsApp message with a link claiming to be for the World Food Programme providing cash assistance through a questionnaire, a hoax. 

Findings show that the link is embedded with phishing, malicious, and suspicious malware intended to steal people’s information for fraud. Be cautious of such websites and only apply for vacancies through the official website for organisations, in this case, wfp.org for the World Food Programme website.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

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