FACT CHECK: No P2,000 Women’s Month cash gift from Landbank

Claim: Throughout March, Landbank is offering all women a P2,000 cash gift in celebration of Women’s Month.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video containing the claim was posted on March 15 by TikTok account Fyp News Alert with 151,700 followers. As of writing, it has over 6,063 views, 82 likes, 54 comments, and 15 shares. 

The video provides information on registering for the supposed cash gift. Interested applicants are instructed to click the link on the TikTok account’s bio to access the application form.

The facts: In a text message to Rappler, Landbank denied offering the cash gift and said it is not affiliated with the TikTok account that posted the claim. 

“We wish to clarify that this is not an official TikTok post of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK). We are NOT offering a cash gift worth P2,000.00 in connection with National Women’s Month celebration,” Landbank said.

It added: “We remind everyone to be vigilant against this ongoing scam circulating on Tiktok, urging women to register online in order to claim their free ‘cash gifts’ from LANDBANK. This is fake and is in no way connected to the Bank.”

Landbank also posted an advisory on its official Facebook page on March 22 warning the public about the potential scam.

Phishing risk: The application link provided in the TikTok post doesn’t lead to the official Landbank website, but to an unrelated form that asks users for their personal information, including valid IDs. Disclosing personal information in the fake application form may put social media users at risk of falling victim to phishing scams or identity theft. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Official news: Rappler has debunked false claims related to the bank:

• FACT CHECK: Link for scholarship program posted by fake Landbank page
• FACT CHECK: Landbank’s Gawad Patnubay scholarship program ended in 2022

For official updates on Landbank programs and services, refer to the official Landbank website and its social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. – Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.com

Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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