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Claim: A viral WhatsApp post claimed that Orange Sierra Leone is offering its old customers free data.
Verdict: False! In a public notice on its Facebook page, Orange Sierra Leone stated that it is not giving out free data to old members.
Full Text
A WhatsApp post circulating in Sierra Leone claims that one of the leading telecommunications operators, Orange SL, “is offering free data” to its old subscribers.
“Congratulations to all Orange Old Customers. Orange is offering Free Data to all OLD SIM CARD. 6 months old sim-5GB, 1 year and above-10GB, 5 years and above-50GB and 10 Years plus-Unlimited. Hurry Now and check if your ORANGE SIM CARD is eligible for this offer,” a message on the purported data bonus reads.
The post also directed people to an accompanying link that they can follow to access that offer.
The Alleged promo has been shared widely on WhatsApp in Sierra Leone. A click on that link shows “FortiGuard Intrusion Prevention-Access Blocked.”
DUBAWA decided to investigate this claim in its campaign against mis-and-disinformation in Sierra Leone.
Verification
DUBAWA’s checks have shown that Orange Sierra Leone is not giving out free data to its old customers, as alleged. The telecommunication company dismissed the allegation by issuing a Public notice via their Facebook page.
“Please disregard any fake advert you may encounter on the internet. Be careful of scam ploys and phishing websites. Keep your information private,” the denial read in part.
“Orange SL will communicate to you directly and on our social media pages as and when there is a promotion,” it added.
Further checks conducted by DUBAWA online did not reveal any online information supporting the claim that Orange Sierra Leone offered its old subscribers free data.
On June 4, 2024, DUBAWA contacted the Head of Communications, Digital and Sponsorship, Orange Sierra Leone, Philip Emeh, to ascertain whether the claim was true and determine what measures they are taking to prevent future occurrences of such fraudulent acts.
“We have issued a public notice debunking the claim that we are giving out free data to old customers. We will not be saying anything more,” he said.
DUBAWA contacted some individuals who shared the link in their WhatsApp groups to trace the source of that information, but only one responded. The individual who could not say his name said someone forwarded the link to him, but he later found out it was not authentic when he clicked it.
Also, the alert “FortiGuard Intrusion Prevention-Access Blocked” given to persons who dared to click on the link indicates that the web page violated an internet usage policy or is a malicious website.
Conclusion
Based on DUBAWA’s findings, it is not true that Orange Sierra Leone offers free data to old SIM card subscribers, as alleged.
This report is produced for the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KarKari Fact-Checking Fellowship in partnership with Epic Radio to facilitate the ethos of truth in journalism and enhance media literacy in Sierra Leone.
