Claim
On 23rd February 2026, iVerify Zambia received a forwarded WhatsApp message and a website link with a claim that President Hakainde Hichilema was giving out a K1000 campaign cash grant to all Zambians ahead of the August 2026 General Elections. The messages read in part:
“HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’S K1000 CAMPAIGN CASH GRANT! As Part of Campaign for the Coming Elections, Hakainde Hichilema is Giving out K1000 to all Zambians. Don’t miss out Tap Below To Get Yours”
The post included a link directing users to an external website. The message on the website read:
“HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’S K1000 CAMPAIGN CASH GRANT! This Service allow you to activate Campaign Cash Gift up to 1000 Zambian Kwacha! This service work perfectly on all devices.”
But is this K1000 campaign cash grant real? We checked.
Verification
iVerify Zambia fact checking determined as false the message circulating online, including on WhatsApp and other instant messaging platforms, alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema is giving away K1,000 to all Zambians as a “campaign cash grant” ahead of the August 2026 General Elections. The claim is false as no such programme exists. The shared post brings to the fore numerous red flags that users of digital platforms need to be alert to, and avoid falling prey to scammers. These include:
- The website promoting the offer was fake and part of an online scam aimed at collecting users’ personal information.
- The website bears multiple hallmarks of an online phishing scam designed to harvest personal information.
- Technically, the website features an AI-generated advertisement image accompanied by urgent prompts such as “Receive your 1000 campaign cash grant now” and “Receive now.”
- The website instructions urging users to enter their personal phone numbers and select an amount up to K1,000 is also a common tactic used by fraudsters to collect phone numbers and other data, which can later be exploited for identity theft, spam, or other fraudulent activities.
- The website’s domain (surveytake.org) points to unknown survey pages and does not bear the official Zambian government website domain ending with .gov.zm. Further, the announcement is not shared or referred to on any official government platforms.
- Both the WhatsApp and website claims contain basic grammatical errors such as “This Service allow you” and urgency and persuasive language like “People that have received Today” and “Receive now”. Such phrases are common red flags in online scams, designed to pressure recipients into clicking links without verifying their authenticity.
- From the legal point of view, it is also important to note that political payers that offer cash to citizens as part of an election campaign would be engaging in vote-buying, which is prohibited under Zambia’s electoral laws.
Citizens are encouraged to:
- NEVER click links promising free money or campaign cash grants.
- NEVER enter their phone number or personal details on suspicious websites.
- VERIFY claims about campaign initiatives through official channels and trusted media.
- REPORT to the relevant authorities or platforms the posts and warn others to prevent the scam from spreading.
