|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A viral message circulating on WhatsApp platform claims that OPay is offering a ₦10,000 Easter celebration bonus to all customers. The message includes multiple links and prompts users to submit their account details to receive the supposed reward.
OPay is a financial technology company operating primarily in Nigeria, focused on providing accessible and affordable digital financial services.
It was established in 2018 as part of Opera’s expansion into emerging markets, under the parent company Opera Limited. Since its launch, OPay has grown rapidly, becoming one of the most widely used mobile money platforms in the country.
ROUNDCHECK investigated this claim to determine whether this bonus is from the Fintech company.
ROUNDCHECK Findings
More Read
When ROUNDCHECK accessed the link, we saw a pop-up message claiming we are eligible for a ₦10,000 Easter bonus and requested our OPay account details.
After submission, we were then redirected to another website, claiming that 32,049 customers have already received the bonus, while our status remains ‘pending’ until a supposed withdrawal process is completed. ROUNDCHECK observed several comments underneath the website post claiming the bonus is real.
To verify if this is true, we first subjected the links attached to the claims to different verification platforms.
Using ‘e.Veritas,’ a web link verification tool, we found that all three links recorded a very low safety score of 10/100, indicating potential risks such as phishing, malware, blacklisting, or unsafe redirects.
Further checks with ScamAdviser revealed additional concerns. The first link, (vreeoffre.com/easter-bonus) was flagged as likely unsafe, with a trust score of 30/100, based on multiple red flags.
The second link, (ebekpone.com/get-easter-bonus), performed even worse, earning a 25/100 trust score, suggesting a high risk to users.
The inclusion of fabricated testimonials, such as a comment by ‘Joseph Emmanuel’ claiming to have received the money, serves as fake social proof to build trust and urgency.
Notably, a review of OPay’s official newsroom shows no record of any such promotion.
Moreover, the instruction to submit account details through external links is a clear red flag, as legitimate financial institutions do not request sensitive information in this manner.
Also, none of the links provided for the Easter bonus were not linked or associated with Opay, neither does it lead to OPay’s website.
Verdict
The claim that OPay is giving out a ₦10,000 Easter bonus through unverified links is INCORRECT. It is a hoax, designed to collect details of unsuspecting internet users.
