February 28, 2023
Africa: No, Gammora HIV 'Cure Kits' Not Medically Proven - Stick to Approved Treatment
IN SHORT: HIV/Aids can't be cured, but can be treated and managed with antiretroviral drugs as a chronic disease. Claims that there is a "cure" for the human immunodeficiency… Read more »
Africa: Dangerous Websites and Engagement Bait - Be Sceptical of Social Media Posts Making Unlikely Promises of Freebies or 'Donations'
IN SHORT: A multitude of Facebook posts offering free houses and free Honda Civic cars are like empty promises we've seen before. They're scams trying to retrieve personal… Read more »
Africa: No, Pressing the ATM's Cancel Button Won't Prevent Bank Card Fraud
IN SHORT: The claim that pressing the "cancel" button on an ATM up to four times to prevent card fraud has resurfaced online. But it's still incorrect. Read more »
February 20, 2023
Africa: Yes, Chinese Scientist Tu Youyou Did Win Nobel Prize in 2015 for Discovery of Antimalarial and Has Stayed Mostly Out of the Limelight
IN SHORT: It's not surprising that certain claims go viral online, like the one that a cure for a dangerous disease was discovered by an anonymous Chinese woman who wasn't even a… Read more »
February 10, 2023
Africa: Don't Be Fooled - Ignore Facebook Page Advertising Policing, Firefighting and Nursing Training in South Africa
IN SHORT: South African job-seekers should steer away from Facebook posts offering opportunities in the correctional services. Read more »
Africa: No Evidence That DNA From Semen Stays in Woman's Body 'Forever'
IN SHORT: If you have unprotected sex with a man, does the DNA from his semen stay in your body "forever"? No, of course not. There's no evidence for this… Read more »
February 06, 2023
Africa: 'Fraudulent and Misleading' - Why Pricey Herbal Mix Touted As a Remedy for HIV Falls Flat
While widespread antiretroviral treatment has drastically changed the lives of people with HIV, there is still no cure for the virus which infects an estimated 38 million people… Read more »
February 01, 2023
Africa: Visa Lottery Application to Live and Work in the U.S.? Beware of Another Engagement Bait Scam
IN SHORT: While many young people on the African continent are keen to make a life in the United States, they would be advised to steer clear of this "registration portal". Read more »
January 31, 2023
Africa: No, Bill Gates Has Not Vowed to 'Pump MRNA Vaccines Into Food Supply'
IN SHORT: The Covid-19 pandemic saw not only disease spread worldwide, but misinformation too. Much of this has been around how vaccines do or don't work. A recent claim that… Read more »
January 30, 2023
Africa: No, Prime Minister of Niger Didn't Lecture Kenyan President At Dakar Summit - Heavily Shared Clip Manipulated
A video posted on TikTok in late January 2023 shows Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the prime minister of Niger, sitting next to Kenyan president William Ruto. Mahamadou appears to be… Read more »
January 24, 2023
Africa: No, Weight-Loss Rings Sold On Facebook Just Another Scam, Like Other Magnetic Jewellery
IN SHORT: Despite presenting an overwhelming amount of information about what they're supposedly made of and how they work, rings sold with the promise of "weight loss" or health… Read more »
January 17, 2023
Africa: Beware Fraudsters Using Photos of Sick and Disabled People to Scam 'Donations'
IN SHORT: Scammers often appeal to our emotions to con us out of money - the desperation of job seekers or the compassion we feel for the suffering of others. Personal Facebook… Read more »
Africa: No, How Often You Have Sex Does Not Change the 'Tightness' of Your Vagina
IN SHORT: A post on Facebook warning women not to have sex too often as it will change the shape or "tightness" of the vagina is misleading. There is no evidence that sex causes a… Read more »
Africa: Yes, You Can Drink Too Much Water and It Can Be Lethal
IN SHORT: A viral post on Facebook suggests that you can do yourself serious damage by drinking too much water. And the warning is accurate - water intoxication can lead to… Read more »
December 08, 2022
Africa: The Fact-Checker's Guide to Great Holiday Reads
Here's how to make better sense of the world, on the beach. We share our top picks of books and podcasts. Read more »
December 19, 2022
Africa: No, Covid Vaccination in Africa Not Just 6 Percent, As Tweet Claims - Uptake Improving
IN SHORT: A tweet that claims only 6% of the African population is vaccinated against Covid is false. The actual figure, according to the World Health Organisation, is 21%. Read more »
Africa: No Emergency? Interview With 'Dissident Climatologist' On South African Website Misleads On Climate Change
IN SHORT: There is plenty of evidence presented by countless scientists that global heating and climate change is destroying species, habitats, industries and, with extreme weather… Read more »
December 12, 2022
Africa: Don't Fall for Yet Another Scam Website Offering Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme Funds
IN SHORT: We've said it before and we'll say it again: when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. That's also the case for "774,000 empowerment opportunities" being… Read more »
December 07, 2022
Africa: Viral Website Advertising Australian Visas and Jobs Just Another Scam
IN SHORT: The scam website asks for detailed personal information. This is known as phishing, and could give the fraudsters access to your bank and other accounts. Read more »
November 29, 2022
Africa: No, Monkeypox Hasn't Disappeared - It's Still a Global Public Health Emergency
IN SHORT: Posts on Facebook claim that the disease monkeypox - much in the headlines in mid-2022 - has "disappeared", hinting that there is something sinister about the virus or… Read more »
October 26, 2022
Africa: 'Download App, Sign Up and Get Rewarded'? No! Beware New Facebook Post Editing Scam
IN SHORT: An innocent but interesting message is posted on a Facebook community page. It's about a lost child or dog, or a serial killer, or a bear attack. But as soon as it's… Read more »
October 21, 2022
Africa: Ten Years of Africa Check - a Brief History
From two desks in a university department to four African country offices and a respected presence in a global network of fact-checkers, this is the story of Africa Check's first… Read more »
Africa: No, There's No Meaning Behind the First Tear Being Shed From One's Left or Right Eye
IN SHORT: According to a graphic posted on social media, what eye the first tear is shed from when you cry tells you the cause of the tears. But that doesn't hold water. Read more »
October 17, 2022
Africa: Visa Sponsorships for Jobs in Australia? No, Website Just Another Scam
IN SHORT: A website shared across African social media promises an easy and quick road to visa sponsorship in the affluent country of Australia. But it's a scam and could be trying… Read more »