A Scam of French Donation Spreading on Telegram
As social media is widely used by Cambodians, recently a message was sent to each other on social media and Telegram stating that France provided every Cambodian citizen with a donation of 1,500 USD. This message has been shared several times on social media. However, we find that this information is a scam.
This is about our investigation over this message.
Social Media Claim
In the past few days, a message saying that France aids Cambodia and gifts to each Cambodian person about 1,500 USD has been widely shared on Telegram.
The message also instructed Telegram users to click on a link that was sent along with the message.
Below is a snippet from a text message sent via telegram stating, “France provides 300 million euros in aid in some priority areas in Cambodia; donations to the people of Cambodia total 1,500 USD each”.
Below is a snapshot from the account of a Telegram user who received a message from another user who stated to give away $1,500 USD.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia questioned whether this was true and began to verify the truth through information via the latest and most reliable of the Anti-Cyber Crime Department of Cambodia.
On January 3, 2024, the Facebook page of the Anti-Cyber Crime Department was published to inform users about a case of fraud through an online messaging system (Phishing Link).
The announcement came after news of a $1,500 donation was recently distributed to Telegram users with a link for users to click to receive an offer.
Below is a screenshot picture captured from the Facebook page above that reads, “Please be careful!!! Scam Alert! Please do not click on the fake link (Phishing Link and Update). This is a form of fraud that pretends to be (France provides 300 million euros) to some priority areas in Cambodia”.
In the past, the Anti-Cyber Crime Department has reported many cases of online fraud, including new ones. To stop that, we have come up with ways to protect yourself from online scams, as follows:
- Do not share your password with anyone.
- Keep your personal information secure.
- Do not click on suspicious links.
The Fact Crescendo Cambodia team, which has also verified fraud cases online and is also affiliated with Coca-Cola in Cambodia, was rewarded for participating in the survey poll. Read the details here (archived link).
Fact Crescendo Cambodia Report | Archived Link
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You may find the details of this fact-check in Khmer language here as well.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found that the news and claims that there will be a donation of gifts to the people of Cambodia for 1,500 USD are false. Of course, there are no online gift-giving programs, and the Anti Cyber Crime Department has found that such a message is a hoax.
