FACT CHECK: Post on P5,000 cash aid for national ID holders is fake

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The AI-generated video is likely a scam designed to redirect users to a fake registration site to steal their personal information

Claim: All Filipinos with national identification cards will receive P5,000 cash assistance upon registration through a link provided in an online post. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video containing the claim was posted on September 9 and has since garnered over 488,000 views, 11,100 reactions, and 2,300 shares. It was also shared to various Facebook groups, some with hundreds of thousands of followers.

In the video, a man is shown saying, “Tinatawagan lahat ng may national ID, makakatanggap kayo ng P5,000 ayuda. Mag-register sa link na nasa post.” 

(Calling all national ID holders, you will receive P5,000 cash aid. Register through the link provided in this post.)

Many of those who shared the post asked how to register, hoping to receive the grant. 

The video was posted by the page “DSWD TV,” which has over 362,000 followers and consistently posts videos with false claims about government cash aid and grants.

The facts: There is no official government cash aid program specifically for national ID holders. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has previously warned the public about “dubious offers of cash assistance” circulating on social media intended for Filipinos with national IDs.

The agency said that such activities are not authorized, saying, “We would like to clarify that the PSA does not provide any cash assistance or financial incentives. Registration to the National ID system, which will provide valid proof of identity to Filipinos, is free and does not include monetary compensation or financial assistance.” (EXPLAINER: How Filipinos can get a digital national ID)

The PSA has earlier said that possessing a national ID does not automatically qualify an individual for any cash benefits from government agencies. These benefits are awarded based on specific eligibility rules of the relevant agency.

Phishing risk: Rappler has previously debunked similar posts from the same page that often include registration links for government cash assistance in their captions and comments. Most of these posts redirect users to a page named “Libreng Ayuda Pilipinas,” which is not affiliated with the government. This page requires users to provide personal information to leave a comment or inquiry.

The PSA and other government bodies have repeatedly advised the public to avoid engaging with posts that solicit personal information or promise grants in exchange for registration. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

AI-generated: Using Hive Moderation, a platform that analyzes content to detect if it was created using artificial intelligence (AI), the video bearing the false claim got an aggregate score of 99%, indicating it was likely AI-generated.

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked several false claims about government cash assistance programs:

• FACT CHECK: Post on September payout for Unconditional Cash Transfer program is fake
• FACT CHECK: Post linking to CHED-UniFAST scholarship application is fake
• FACT CHECK: Registration links for education cash aid lead to shopping sites
• FACT CHECK: Post on DepEd student cash assistance is fake
• FACT CHECK: No P5,000 cash aid from Malasakit Centers

– Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com 

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