Get-rich-quick schemes, dubious job offers still going viral on social media

From August 26 to September 1, the ministry studied 266 social media posts and found 141 to be fake. Of them, only four were related to Covid-19.

“Fake news about Covid-19 may have dropped because more people are becoming aware of the issue and confidence in government reports is growing,” the ministry’s spokesperson Noppawan Huajaiman said.

However, she said, misleading reports related to finance are still spreading among netizens, with most related to dubious loans, investments and recruitment of staff.

She urged people to check the news thoroughly before sharing.

The top 10 fake reports shared on social media from last Friday to Thursday were:

1. Healthy teenagers' blood pressure should be 120/80 and 140/90 for the elderly.

2. The Thai Meteorological Department predicts the Lionrock and Kompasu storms will hit 29 provinces.

3. People can apply for Government Savings Bank (GSB) loans worth up to 300,000 via Line application.

4. People can register on Line for loans of 5,000 to 300,000 baht from GSB and Krungthai Bank (KTB).

5. The GSB grants monthly loans.

6. KTB lets people apply for loans worth five times their income via the Line application.

7. Facebook and Line invite people to invest in high-profit schemes under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s supervision.

8. Text messages from the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation encouraging people to apply for loans online.

9. Drinking cold-pressed coconut oil helps balance the body and relieve muscular pain.

10. The Islamic Bank of Thailand recruits staff via Facebook.

People can provide clues or report fake news via the Anti-Fake News Centre’s website https://www.antifakenewscenter.com, Twitter https://twitter.com/AFNCThailand, Line account @antifakenewscenter or call the Government Contact Centre’s 1111 hotline extension 87.