Public Information · Election information · Scam warning
The ANC R300 campaign giveaway message is a scam
A fresh fact-check confirms the offer is false. Do not send personal details or pay a fee to claim it.
Messages promising an instant R300 payment from the ANC are fraudulent. Africa Check’s 3 November fact-check confirms that the party has not authorised the advertised campaign giveaway.
The fact-checker says readers sent the claim to its WhatsApp lines and that it circulated in Facebook groups. The message directs people to an unverified link and encourages sharing. Africa Check points to the party’s rejection of the offer on its official social accounts.
The warning predates election day
The false offer was already the subject of an ANC warning reported by IOL on 27 October. Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu urged people not to open its links, reply, forward the message or provide identity and banking information. The warning also covers passwords, card information and one-time PINs.
Do not pay a supposed processing charge to receive the R300. A familiar party name does not make this offer legitimate.
If you have responded
The ANC’s advice, as reported by IOL, is to contact your bank through its official channels if you disclosed banking information, monitor transactions and change compromised passwords. Suspicious transactions should be reported to the relevant authorities. Avoid forwarding the original fraudulent offer while trying to warn friends.
For other messages, government’s online-safety guidance recommends checking the source independently before clicking or sharing information. Open an organisation’s official website yourself instead of following a link supplied in an unsolicited message.
For election claims beyond this scam, see TPR’s guide to checking election information.