Summary: A Facebook advertisement featuring popular Nigerian singer David Adeleke popularly known as Davido offering giveaways and chance to work abroad has been circulating on social media. The advertisement showing Davido claiming to be providing opportunities for giveaways and work abroad is Fake. The video was manipulated using advanced AI technology, and therefore, it is false.
Story: The advertisement in question, posted by a page called Hardship Grants and Giveaway on Facebook, gained significant traction with thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
This video has a total of 13 thousand likes, 2 thousand comments and over one hundred and forty-four shares.
The video featured Davido promoting the opportunity for giveaways and work abroad. In the video he said: “For a long time, my team and I have been providing numerous giveaway opportunities. This offer also includes the chance to work abroad if that’s your preference. Apply now and take your time to select the best option for you. The application process also takes six to seven minutes and it’s completely free”.
However, the video was found to be fake, as Davido’s original video was altered using deepfake technology.
Also, in the video it was said that the application is free but if people click on the link jobs.fundiafrica.co.za it will take them to Scholarship reports UK and as they proceed in the application, they will be asked to pay a particular sum of money. This is how people will start paying and hence get duped.
The video advertisement exhibits clear signs of manipulation, with the singer’s lip movements misaligned with the audio and noticeable distortions in his face and mouth. These irregularities indicate the use of AI editing, confirming that Davido did not genuinely endorse the advertised offer.
Verification: A reverse image search and the use of Google Lens on the altered image of Davido led to the discovery of the original video which was posted by ofreshentertainmentng on Instagram.
The original video showed Davido discussing his music and admonishing his fans to listen to all his hits on Amazon with the new Davido’s rediscover playlist, not offering any giveaways or opportunity to work abroad.
Verdict: The ad featuring Davido offering giveaways and most especially opportunities to work abroad is false and misleading.
Davido’s video was edited and manipulated because he’s a popular singer and he does giveaways for his fans sometimes but this is a deep fake video created to deceive viewers and collect money from them through a fraudulent website.
Conclusion: It is crucial for social media users to be vigilant and verify the credibility of information before engaging with ads or offers online. In this case, the ad exploiting Davido’s image for fraudulent purposes serves as a reminder to exercise caution and skepticism when encountering similar scams on social media platforms.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) and WITNESS.