Claim: A WhatsApp message that has gone viral states telecom giant MTN is rewarding its old customers in Ghana with free 10GB data.
Verdict: False. MTN Ghana debunked the viral message to DUBAWA. They emphasised that all promotions are “widely published in the print media, broadcast media, and all social media outlets.” Also, a search by DUBAWA showed the “MTN Old SIM Reward” claim has been making the rounds in other African countries where the company operates, including Nigeria.
Full Text
A message that has gone viral on WhatsApp says telco giant MTN Ghana rewards its old customers with 10GB of free data.
“Today we decided to reward all our Old Customers by giving them 10GB Free Data,” the message reads.
The message has been shared widely on social media, with many asking how they could benefit from the loyalty bonus.
DUBAWA decided to probe this claim because of the interest it has generated on WhatsApp in Ghana.
Verification
The telco giant refuted the claim when DUBAWA contacted it during investigations of the message.
“We are grateful that you reached out to us to enquire. Please note that MTN is not running such a promotion, nor has it done so recently. Kindly ignore all such ads on any WhatsApp platform,” MTN Ghana said.
Similarly, a Google search conducted by DUBAWA showed the “MTN Old SIM Reward” claim has been making the rounds in other African countries where the telecommunication company operates.
According to the search, the message predates 2021. See here, and here.
Responding to a similar claim in Nigeria on August 22, 2022, MTN said it had no affiliation with persons claiming it was offering data rewards for old SIM cards.
Also, DUBAWA reached out to people who shared the message in their WhatsApp groups to discover where they got it from. While some claimed it was sent to them by their friends, others said they saw it in some WhatsApp groups.
It is, therefore, not true that MTN is offering free data to its old customers in Ghana.
Conclusion
MTN has refuted the claim making the rounds on WhatsApp that it is offering 10GB of free data to its old Ghanaian customers. DUBAWA’s search has also shown that the message has been circulating in other African countries where MTN operates.
