FACT CHECK: Registration links for PWD cash aid lead to phishing, shopping sites

Claim: Parents of children with disabilities can claim P100,000 cash assistance yearly by registering through a link provided in social media posts circulating online.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Several posts bearing the false claim have been circulating on Facebook, with the most popular one garnering 135,000 views, 1,300 reactions, and 313 shares. The page repeatedly spreading the claim, “Pinoy Newswire,” has 747,000 followers.

“Lahat ng may anak na PWD (person with disability) makakatanggap ng P100,000 kada taon. Magpalista lang sa link na nasa post namin nationwide,” says a female news anchor in the video.

(All those with children who are PWDs can receive P100,000 every year. Register nationwide using the link in our post.)

Other pages making the same claim also pose as news sites, with page names such as “Nagkakaisang Pilipino Tv” and “Edukasyon News: PH Updates Today.”

The facts: Scanning tools show that the supposed registration links lead to unrelated shopping platforms and unofficial blog sites that expose users to phishing risks.

Link scanner urlscan.io shows that the links posted by Facebook pages “Pinoy Newswire” and “Edukasyon News: PH Updates Today” lead to a shopping platform‘s product page for a portable power station. 

A scan of the link from “Nagkakaisang Pilipino Tv” also reveals that it leads to a blog site posing as a government update website. Official websites of the Philippine government use a gov.ph domain, unlike the links contained in the fake post.

Phishing link checker EasyDMARC found the blog site suspicious for phishing. This means filling out the form may pose risks to users’ personal and financial information. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

The supposed news reports are also 99% likely to be AI-generated, according to AI detection tool SightEngine.

Repeatedly debunked: While the posts do not mention any specific government agency supposedly giving out the cash assistance, similar claims about other types of social welfare allude to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other government departments to falsely claim legitimacy.

Rappler has debunked similar claims:

• FACT CHECK: Post about yearly cash, monthly rice aid for students is fake
• FACT CHECK: Registration links for DSWD free housing program are fake
• FACT CHECK: No P100,000 yearly payout for all senior citizens
• FACT CHECK: P20,000 calamity assistance is a loan, not cash benefit for SSS members
• FACT CHECK: Post on September payout for Unconditional Cash Transfer program is fake     

In a previous fact check, Rappler reported that the DSWD Agency Operations Service said that it “does not provide important announcements to the public regarding the Department’s programs and services on any unofficial social media platform.”

The department also warned against posts instructing users to fill out fake forms with their personal information. The DSWD does not request such information online because it violates the Data Privacy Act.

Official accounts: Legitimate updates about the DSWD’s programs and services can be found on its website and official accounts on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. – Shay Du/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. You may also report dubious claims to the #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.