A Facebook (FB) ad promoting a cryptocurrency trading platform supposedly endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte is making the rounds online. This is fake. Adding to the deception, the scam imitated the website of Inquirer.net.
A reader sent a request through VERA Files’ Messenger Misinformation Tipline on March 4 to look into the ad.
The scam ad was published on FB on Feb. 6. It carried a link to an article with a thumbnail showing Duterte and the text:
“A NEW LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES! NO ONE EXPECTED THIS! MORE INFORMATION BELOW. SELECT YOUR AGE TO RECEIVE GOVERNMENT COMPENSATION”
When clicked, the link redirects to “allactionmarketing.net” and leads to a website that looks like Inquirer.net. It featured an article – supposedly written by Inquirer.net reporter Charie Abarca – with the headline:
“By the order of Sara Duterte, Philippines residents will start receiving income from taxes”
“Inquirer.net did not write this,” said Arlene Burgos, Inquirer.net’s chief content officer, in an email to VERA Files Fact Check on March 11.
Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.
