IN SHORT: Fraudulent posts circulating on Facebook claim that Yoweri Museveni is offering Ugandans a USh100,000 (US$27) Christmas cash grant. But this is engagement bait.
A post on Facebook claims that president Yoweri Museveni is offering Ugandans a USh100,000 Christmas cash grant, accessed by clicking on a provided link and answering a few questions.
It reads: “Hello! Welcome to PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI UGX100,000 CHRISTMAS CASH GRANT FOR UGANDANS, in celebration of this year Christmas PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI is giving out UGX100,000 to UGANDANS. Answer the questions below to claim UGX100,000 Cash Prize.”
The post is accompanied by a link to WhatsApp, where users are asked to answer questions such as whether they are Ugandan, whether they have a Ugandan identity card, and their gender and age.
The page also includes comments from supposed previous beneficiaries, some of whom claim to have received the money.
However, the link does not tell the users how to access the money. Instead, they are asked to share it with five groups or 15 friends on WhatsApp.
In a similar post, users are promised even more money – a USh8.5 million ($2,300) Christmas cash grant from the president.
The message also appears here and here.
But is Museveni really giving Ugandans a Christmas grant? We checked.
Engagement bait scam
These posts are likely to be scams, designed to collect personal information or exploit users for financial gain.
First, there is no official statement from any government platforms or reputable media about this grant from Museveni. Major announcements of this nature would be released through official government channels and covered by the media.
Second, the message includes a link that takes users to WhatsApp, where they are asked questions about their nationality, gender, and age. Scammers often use these tactics to collect personal information for phishing or other fraudulent activities.
Third, the post asks users to share the link with others before accessing the supposed grant. This is another red flag, as legitimate initiatives usually don’t require recipients to promote the programme to their contacts.
Ignore fake post
The comments claiming to have received the funds are likely to be fabricated to make the scam appear credible. Such tactics are often used in online scams to lure unsuspecting victims.
This type of scam, which promises financial rewards in the name of prominent individuals or governments, is common on social media. Africa Check has debunked many similar claims in the past.
Faruk Kirunda, the deputy press secretary of Uganda's State House, flagged the cash grant post as a scam from his official X account.
“The link circulating with a subject: ‘PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI CHRISTMAS CASH GRANT FOR UGANDANS’ is a scam. Kindly, don't fall for it. @UCC_Official, please, intervene and stop these manipulative scams online,” Kirunda wrote.
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