Scam post falsely claims free cash giveaway for Ethiopian New Year

Screenshot of the false post, taken on September 19, 2024

“Register immediately to receive the gift. It is offered for the low-income section of society and the elderly,” the caption reads.

The text overylay on the image asks users to click on the link in the caption to receive the gift.

Most of the more than 400 Facebook users who commented on the post submitted their bank account information.

Ethiopian New Year is usually celebrated in September based on the Ethiopian calendar, which is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar (archived here).

However, the link in the caption does not lead to the purported gift.

Scam post

The Facebook page behind the alleged cash gift has the same name as the amount promised in the giveaway: "12,000".

A review of the transparency section of the Facebook page showed it was created two days before the givaway post was published.

Moreover, the supposed registration link leads to an error page.

The URL’s domain shows the web page called “1200000000.my.canva.site” was created using graphic design site Canva’s free website builder.

The Facebook post lured many users who submitted their bank account details in the comments, hoping to receive money.

"I am proud of you as a leader. Please transfer the gift to this account for me," commented one of the users who shared his bank account details, referring to the country's prime minister.

“Great gift for the new year. Please transfer the money to this account," commented another.

It is unclear why the users shared their bank details, as this is not mentioned in the post’s text. However, the post’s edit history shows that it originally included an additional attachment, which is no longer available. This attachment could potentially have included further instructions.

Scammers usually use bank details to steal money from customers' accounts. The account numbers shared under the post mostly belong to the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, a state-affiliated bank that has repeatedly warned its customers against such scams (archived here).

A review of the prime minister’s and his office’s official social media accounts did not reveal any announcements about cash giveaways.