In this episode of *“What's Crap on WhatsApp?”*, we look at four viral claims:

No, South African soldiers in the DRC are not pawning their weapons in ‘Guns-for-Busfare Initiative’. https://bit.ly/southafrica_weapons

Have smartwatches been found to emit ‘dangerous levels’ of radiation? No! https://bit.ly/smartwatches_radiation

Should you avoid biopsies, because they can cause cancer to spread? No, that’s risky. https://bit.ly/cancer_biopsy

No, this message claiming US president Donald Trump has been arrested won’t ‘attack your bank account’. https://bit.ly/trump_message

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four viral claims:

Will ginger and lemon cure diabetes? Of course not - this home remedy is nothing new and not effective. https://bit.ly/3Y38cn6

No, there’s still no evidence for ‘seismic waves cards’ that will ‘hack your phone in 10 seconds’. https://bit.ly/4cAYP47

Beware of job scams! South African retailer Woolworths only recruits through its official website. https://bit.ly/4ikLazh

Is Capitec hiring ‘ATM assistance’ through Facebook? Nope, this is yet another job scam! https://bit.ly/4imiRjU

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On this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” we take a deep dive into claims about South Africa’s roads:

Are South Africa’s roads really the worst in the world to drive in?

Fact-checking viral road safety hoaxes.

Tips and tricks for spotting crime misinformation.

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four viral claims:

Beware: No smartphone app can test for HIV! Adverts making these claims are scams. https://bit.ly/hiv_app

Can drinking baking soda water after meals and consuming honey and cannabis oil cure late-stage pancreatic cancer? Of course not.

Is the South African Police Service hiring, or is this just another job scam?  https://bit.ly/saps_hiring

ZOMBIE CLAIM: There is still no warning from the BBC about ‘dangerous videos’ spreading on phones. https://bit.ly/hoax_bbc

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four viral claims:

No, South Africa’s Department of Basic Education is not planning to introduce ‘grade 13’ in high schools. https://bit.ly/sa_grade13

Does this video show a sinkhole at the ‘Harties tunnel’ in South Africa? Nope. https://bit.ly/sa_sinkhole

Can a mixture of turmeric and ginger ‘reduce the growth of fibroids’? Of course not. https://bit.ly/cure_fibroids

‘Corpus Christi’: the Frankenstein hoax that keeps on giving. https://bit.ly/christi_corpus

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four viral claims:

Reports of more deaths of South African children from spaza shop poisonings are not true, ignore engagement bait. https://bit.ly/sa_poisonings

Can dried pawpaw seeds cure fibroids? Of course not. https://bit.ly/fibroids_remedy

ZOMBIE CLAIM: Drug dealers aren’t trying to lure kids with ‘strawberry meth’. https://bit.ly/strawberry_drugs

Has South African president Cyril Ramaphosa been arrested in Nigeria? No! https://bit.ly/ramaphosa_arrest

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four viral claims:

Ignore the widely shared claim that 100% of South Africa’s HIV/Aids funding comes from the United States, it’s mostly funded by the SA government. https://bit.ly/hiv_funding

Has South Africa raised its retirement age to 70? Nope. https://bit.ly/sa_retirement

Don’t believe this old claim: South Africa hasn’t barred white-owned farms from agricultural export permits. https://bit.ly/sa_farms

Can hot water infused with cloves provide a wide range of reproductive health benefits? No! https://bit.ly/clove_water

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four viral claims:

This widely shared video of a school child assaulted by a teacher is from Nigeria, not South Africa. https://bit.ly/video_nigeria

Does this video show South African firefighters travelling to the United States in January 2025 to assist with wildfire response? Nope! https://bit.ly/southafrica_wildfires

No, China has not declared a state of emergency (https://bit.ly/hmpv_emergency) or closed any schools (https://bit.ly/hmpv_schools) due to HMPV infections.

SCAM: Is Stagwell offering ‘an easy way to earn extra money from home’ in South Africa? No! https://bit.ly/stagwell_money

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On this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” we take a deep dive into three top tools for verifying information in 2025:

 Using Google's About this tool: How and why.

 The Wayback Machine: An internet time capsule.

 InVid and WeVerify’s verification plugin: Speedy video debunks.

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In our last episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” for 2024, we look at 3 viral claims and share some tips for avoiding false information this festive season:

Does this video show the pillars of a bridge cut near their bases by “illegal foreigners” in South Africa? No, they’re part of the original design! https://bit.ly/sa_bridge

The South African Police Service has rubbished a “special public announcement for the festive season”. https://bit.ly/saps_statement

Do these dodgy-looking links offer ‘cash prizes’ through the rewards programme of South African retailer Spar? Nope. https://bit.ly/spar_rewards

What should you look out for when debunking crap on WhatsApp this holiday season? We’ve got some tips!

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.