Nigerians, Beware of Social Media Pages Baiting Users With Non-Existent OPay and PalmPay Giveaways

10 October 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Muktar Balogun

Nigerians, beware of social media pages baiting users with non-existent OPay and PalmPay giveaways

IN SHORT: Several Facebook pages are baiting Nigerians with giveaway offers, claiming they are from two popular mobile money operators. However, their posts lead users to suspicious websites featuring visa sponsorship opportunities. Don't fall for any of these scams.

The Facebook pages Global Speed, Innovative Corner, Alice Media, GiveawayHub and Rash-Man are promoting giveaways allegedly from OPay and PalmPay.

OPay and PalmPay are digital banks operating in Nigeria.

One post from the pages, dated 8 August 2024, reads: "₦500k Giveaway OPAY Ending Next Month Submit Application Today."

Similar posts, with different amounts to give away and links, can be found here, here, here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of the report.)

But are these offers genuine? We checked.

Don't be scammed!

Clicking on the link in the Global Speed post takes users to a webpage with a green button that says "click here to apply". We clicked on the button and it directed us to a blog post about different US work visas and how to apply for them.

Similarly, posts by Innovative Corner, Alice Media, GiveawayHub and Rash-Man, all offering thousands of nairas in grants and loans allegedly from OPay and PalmPay, directed us to blog posts about visa sponsorship opportunities.

Posts encouraging users to click on links, comment, share or like are a form of engagement bait. They aim to increase their reach and drive traffic to the websites, which may generate advertising revenue.

One of the blog posts asks users to enter their full names and bank account details, which could leave users vulnerable to identity theft.

A search of OPay and PalmPay websites brings up no such giveaways.

When OPay ran what it called a New Year Giveaway in January, it urged users to always check its verified social media pages for legitimate promotions.

In another social media post, the company said, "Once there is an ongoing giveaway, you will be informed via the app."

To protect yourself, read our guide on how to spot scams on Facebook.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 Africa Check. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.