Claim: John Mahama is giving out grants to support Ghanaians
Source: Viral message
Verdict:HOAX
Researched by Muniru Ibrahim
A viral message circulating on WhatsApp claims Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama is giving out Gh¢2,000.00 from the Mahama Grants Foundation to support Ghanaians.
The message partly reads: “Hurry now and check if you are eligible to receive 2,000 Support from Mahama Grants Foundation. This Grant is available to all Ghanaians.”
In early 2023, a similar WhatsApp message suggested John Mahama was giving out a grant of Gh¢2,000 to individuals to empower the youth.
This fact-check report would seek to verify the message.
Fact-Check
A click on the phishing link opens a page that shows a picture of former President John Dramani Mahama with a statement saying:
“Former President John Mahama on Thursday 27th of July 2023. Offer the grant of 2,000 Ghc to individual to empower the youth and support all citizens. My idea for the introduction of this great grants is to make sure everyone benefits from Mahama Foundation. Get Your Own 2,000 by filling the form below. The Mahama 2,000 GHC grants for ‘Ghanaians’ Mahama Foundation Grants Funds to support all ‘Ghanaians’. Applicants are to fill the form below and click on Apply.”
On the platforms are sections that request interested persons to provide some information including name, phone number, email, city/area in the city, password, gender and employment status [unemployed, employed/self-employed], or a student and tick a box to agree to apply for the grant.
A search to find out who owns the domain – newfundingz.online – via WHOIS shows that the registrar data has been made private, but the platform was registered in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Further information showed it was registered on July 13, 2023, and is due to expire on July 13, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) on March 9, 2023, flagged a similar phishing link intended to lure the public and described it as “Malicious Data Harvesting Link – Fake Cash Grants.”
“Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has taken note of malicious links in circulation purporting to provide access to a cash grant from a former President, John Dramani Mahama… The public is hereby informed to disregard the offer as the former President is not associated with these websites,” the statement issued on March 9, 2023, stated.
Our checks from the official website of the former president (here) showed he has not announced any such initiative and Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Mahama described the claim as “false” when contacted by GhanaFact.
Verdict
The claim that John Mahama is giving out grants to Ghanaians is a HOAX.
‘This report was compiled as part of efforts by the Ghana Fact-Checking Network to curb the spread of mis/disinformation. The Ghana Fact-Checking Network is a collaboration of more than 100 journalists from 35 partner newsrooms.’
