{"id":9091,"date":"2021-08-23T16:42:32","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T15:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=9091"},"modified":"2022-05-05T14:59:02","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T13:59:02","slug":"scammers-use-childs-old-sick-photos-to-defraud-victims-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/scammers-use-childs-old-sick-photos-to-defraud-victims-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Scammers use child\u2019s old sick photos to defraud victims online"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Claim: Posts on social media are using the photos of a child whom they claim has kidney cancer, to solicit help from people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These posts are circulated by scammers with the aim of defrauding unsuspecting donors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Text<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The story of Miss Hubert Ikoi Nkanu came to the public after information about her condition was shared on the internet in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born medically fit and sound, Hubert\u2019s parents, who are based in Calabar, Cross River State, said they were worried when they noticed that her stomach was growing unusually bigger, sometime in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe observed that her stomach started growing big and she was also losing weight,\u201d Nkanu Okoi, her father recalled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt made us very worried, so later we took her for a scan at Asi Ukpo Diagnostics to find out what was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnosis after a Computed Tomography (CT) scan revealed that Hubert, aged 2 at the time, had Nephroblastoma with metastasis to the lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also known as Wilms\u2019 tumor, Nephroblastoma is a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children aged 2 to 5. It occurs mostly in one kidney, but can sometimes be found in both kidneys at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe did not have money for her medical care and she was going through lots of pain, so we started looking for help,\u201d Nkanu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family made videos and pictures of the ailing child and the medical report, which were circulated on news websites<\/a> and social media<\/a>, soliciting donations from members of the public. Donations were requested to be made to the Sterling Bank Account of Vital Signs with Account Number 0065009571.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Screenshot of one of the posts by the Hubert\u2019s family seeking financial support for her treatment in 2018<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hubert has since recovered after surgery and other medical treatments. Her father said \u201cshe now attends school and is doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in 2021, pictures and videos of Hubert before her treatment resurfaced on the internet, but with a different name and a different bank account details, in posts seeking financial donations for her surgery and medical treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Screenshot of similar posts shared by another user using the photo of the girl with a different name<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The posts have been widely shared between May and August by many social media users<\/a>, bloggers<\/a> and influencers<\/a>, including ex-Big Brother Nigeria housemate, Ike Onyema<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Screenshot of the post with a different name and details shared by ex-BBN housemate, Ike Onyema<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Findings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa found that the recently circulated posts seeking help with the girl\u2019s photos are scams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview with Dubawa, Nkanu Okoi, father of the girl in all the photos, revealed that his daughter\u2019s real name is Hubert Okoi Nkanu. This implies that all the posts using the girl\u2019s photos and\/or videos with different names, such as \u201cBeatrice or Beatrice Alimi\u201d<\/em><\/strong>, are fake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Screenshot of another post requesting financial donations<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Nkanu also said that the posts did not emanate from him or his family, adding that the bank account details attached to the posts (Wema Bank, Fidelis Alimi Agbahi, 7810604013), are scams, which suggest a ploy to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He confirmed that his daughter was diagnosed with Nephroblastoma in 2018, after they took her for a scan, due to an unusual swelling of her stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe spent all our money, borrowed money, and even had to sell my shares in Zenith bank to get money, but it was not enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said they found hope when they met the CEO of Vital Signs and Ayade Care Home Health Services, Calabar, Dr. Genevive Barnaby, who advised and assisted them to reach out to the public, to help raise the money needed for their daughter\u2019s treatment. They made videos and uploaded pictures of the girl and the medical report, which were shared on social media to solicit for donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was referred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where doctors prescribed surgery and 21 weeks of chemotherapy, which was pegged at Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N900,000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although a total sum of N800,000 was donated, Mr. Nkanu said Dr. Barnaby only remitted N75,000 to the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said his daughter\u2019s case got the attention of the doctors at the UCTH Doctors\u2019 Welfare unit, who facilitated her treatment, surgery and chemotherapy, free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He confirmed that Hubert recovered after the surgery and had since started school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe spent 6 months at UCTH for the surgery and treatment, after which my daughter recovered. This happened  3 years ago. She has been attending school. I was surprised when I saw those old photos and videos online again with posts asking for money,\u201d he said. \u201cMy daughter\u2019s name is Hubert Okoi Nkanu and not Beatrice Alimi. It is a scam.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hale and Hearty: A recent photo of Hubert Okoi Nkanu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edu Ele, a social worker who is close to the Nkanu family, said the scam had received wide attention due to the large followership of celebrities and influencers who had shared the posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith their posts on those celebrities\u2019 pages, it’s spreading like wildfire,\u201d she said. She has engaged a campaign on twitter<\/a> and instagram<\/a> to draw attention of the public to the scam, and has tried to get celebrities and influencers to take down the posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa found many burner accounts, including one in the fake name \u201cBeatrice Alimi\u201d<\/em><\/a>, which are involved in perpetuating the scam. While some<\/a> made the posts, others<\/a> were in comment sections, cajoling people to make donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Screenshot of comments section showing one of the fake accounts cajoling users for donations<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the posters<\/a> even claimed to be the little girl Beatrice Alimi\u2019s uncle and the person who has been taking care of her since she was diagnosed with the illness – a claim that Dubawa has confirmed to be false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa has found that the real name of the girl in the photos circulated on social media is Hubert Okoi Nkanu. Every post carrying the same photo but identifying her with a different name is fake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also discovered that the girl in the photos, Hubert, was diagnosed with nephroblastoma 3 years ago, but has since recovered and is now in good health. Those circulating her photos and seeking donations for her medical treatment recently, are fraudsters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Claim: Posts on social media are using the photos of a child whom they claim has kidney cancer, to solicit help from people. These posts are circulated by scammers with the aim of defrauding unsuspecting donors. Full Text The story of Miss Hubert Ikoi Nkanu came to the public after information about her condition was shared on the internet in 2018.  Born medically fit and sound, Hubert\u2019s parents, who are based in Calabar, Cross River State, said they were worried when they noticed that her stomach was growing unusually bigger, sometime in 2017. \u201cWe observed that her stomach started growing big and she was also losing weight,\u201d Nkanu Okoi, her father recalled.  \u201cIt made us very worried, so later we took her for a scan at Asi Ukpo Diagnostics to find out what was wrong.\u201d Diagnosis after a Computed Tomography (CT) scan revealed that Hubert, aged 2 at the time, had Nephroblastoma with metastasis to the lungs. Also known as Wilms\u2019 tumor, Nephroblastoma is a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children aged 2 to 5. It occurs mostly in one kidney, but can sometimes be found in both kidneys at the same time. \u201cWe did not have money for her medical care and she was going through lots of pain, so we started looking for help,\u201d Nkanu said. The family made videos and pictures of the ailing child and the medical report, which were circulated on news websites and social media, soliciting donations from members of the public. Donations were requested to be made to the Sterling Bank Account of Vital Signs with Account Number 0065009571. Hubert has since recovered after surgery and other medical treatments. Her father said \u201cshe now attends school and is doing well.\u201d But in 2021, pictures and videos of Hubert before her treatment resurfaced on the internet, but with a different name and a different bank account details, in posts seeking financial donations for her surgery and medical treatments. The posts have been widely shared between May and August by many social media users, bloggers and influencers, including ex-Big Brother Nigeria housemate, Ike Onyema. Findings Dubawa found that the recently circulated posts seeking help with the girl\u2019s photos are scams. In an interview with Dubawa, Nkanu Okoi, father of the girl in all the photos, revealed that his daughter\u2019s real name is Hubert Okoi Nkanu. This implies that all the posts using the girl\u2019s photos and\/or videos with different names, such as \u201cBeatrice or Beatrice Alimi\u201d, are fake.  Mr. Nkanu also said that the posts did not emanate from him or his family, adding that the bank account details attached to the posts (Wema Bank, Fidelis Alimi Agbahi, 7810604013), are scams, which suggest a ploy to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. He confirmed that his daughter was diagnosed with Nephroblastoma in 2018, after they took her for a scan, due to an unusual swelling of her stomach. \u201cWe spent all our money, borrowed money, and even had to sell my shares in Zenith bank to get money, but it was not enough,\u201d he said. He said they found hope when they met the CEO of Vital Signs and Ayade Care Home Health Services, Calabar, Dr. Genevive Barnaby, who advised and assisted them to reach out to the public, to help raise the money needed for their daughter\u2019s treatment. They made videos and uploaded pictures of the girl and the medical report, which were shared on social media to solicit for donations. She was referred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where doctors prescribed surgery and 21 weeks of chemotherapy, which was pegged at Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N900,000). Although a total sum of N800,000 was donated, Mr. Nkanu said Dr. Barnaby only remitted N75,000 to the family.  He said his daughter\u2019s case got the attention of the doctors at the UCTH Doctors\u2019 Welfare unit, who facilitated her treatment, surgery and chemotherapy, free of charge. He confirmed that Hubert recovered after the surgery and had since started school. \u201cWe spent 6 months at UCTH for the surgery and treatment, after which my daughter recovered. This happened  3 years ago. She has been attending school. I was surprised when I saw those old photos and videos online again with posts asking for money,\u201d he said. \u201cMy daughter\u2019s name is Hubert Okoi Nkanu and not Beatrice Alimi. It is a scam.\u201d Hale and Hearty: A recent photo of Hubert Okoi Nkanu Edu Ele, a social worker who is close to the Nkanu family, said the scam had received wide attention due to the large followership of celebrities and influencers who had shared the posts. \u201cWith their posts on those celebrities\u2019 pages, it’s spreading like wildfire,\u201d she said. She has engaged a campaign on twitter and instagram to draw attention of the public to the scam, and has tried to get celebrities and influencers to take down the posts. Dubawa found many burner accounts, including one in the fake name \u201cBeatrice Alimi\u201d, which are involved in perpetuating the scam. While some made the posts, others were in comment sections, cajoling people to make donations. Screenshot of comments section showing one of the fake accounts cajoling users for donations One of the posters even claimed to be the little girl Beatrice Alimi\u2019s uncle and the person who has been taking care of her since she was diagnosed with the illness – a claim that Dubawa has confirmed to be false. Conclusion Dubawa has found that the real name of the girl in the photos circulated on social media is Hubert Okoi Nkanu. Every post carrying the same photo but identifying her with a different name is fake. It was also discovered that the girl in the photos, Hubert, was diagnosed with nephroblastoma 3 years ago, but has since recovered and is now in good health. Those circulating her photos and seeking donations for her medical treatment recently, are fraudsters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1571],"tags":[2355,2356,2354,2352,2353],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[1806],"class_list":["post-9091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fact-check","tag-beatrice","tag-beatrice-alimi","tag-donation","tag-hubert-ikoi-nkanu","tag-kidney-cancer"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-2mD","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":1806,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"uchenna-igwe","display_name":"Uchenna Igwe","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/079ff448805edb1ac4ef8dac55e7fa0070f87220d97339815b63a4b39aa74ce9?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Hubert-ikoi-nkanu.jpg?fit=1200%2C1317&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9091"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11457,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9091\/revisions\/11457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9091"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=9091"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=9091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}