Claim: CANADA 2026 SUMMER SCHOLARSHIP ADMISSION INTO VARIOUS COURSE OF YOUR CHOICE
Source: WhatsApp
Verdict: Misleading
Full text: There is a circulated message in various WhatsApp groups claiming that an admission has been open for a ‘Canadian 2026 summer scholarship.'
The message reads, "It's Here Again: CANADA 2026 SUMMER SCHOLARSHIP ADMISSION INTO VARIOUS COURSE OF YOUR CHOICE
*Benefit of 2026 scholarship admission at the University of Toronto*.
The scholarship will cover.
-Full Tuition Fee
-Living Allowance
-Accommodation
-Medical Facilities
-Work and Study Allowance
Don't miss this great opportunity; click Below to apply."
Verification: The message has a link attached. When clicked, it gives a serious security warning that the page is a known dangerous website that is highly recommended not to visit.
This warning appeared because our fact-checker has attached a security system to her computer that detect a fraudulent webpage.
However, to establish what lies behind the warning, our researcher ignored the danger and opened the link, which took her to another website that reads, “Study at the University of Toronto with a course of your choice for free throughout the years' program. Applicants are to fill out the form below and click on "Apply." Please fill the form below.
And click Apply.”
When we clicked the link, it requested personal data of the applicant such as name, course, phone number, email address, password, a confirmation of password, and others.
For further verification purposes, we use Scamdoc to verify the trust index of the link attached to the WhatsApp message.
We discovered that the trust index is 40%, which is low, and the domain name of the website is old, which is a good sign for a credible website.
An HTTPS security protocol was detected on this website, but we were warned to be careful, as such an indicator is not always synonymous with security.
What caught our researcher's attention is a negative point that warned that the domain name is linked to one or more countries known for their use by fraudulent websites.
Other discoveries include the owner of the domain being hidden, there not being data that could be retrieved, and the domain expiring on January 9, 2025, two years after it was created.
When The Stage Media contacted the WhatsApp number that shared the link, the individual said that the link was forwarded to him by a friend.
Conclusion: With the above investigation, we established that the link can not be trusted. Moreover, looking at the way the link was shared, it emphasizes the importance of double-checking sources before sharing any content across social media platforms.
