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A weekly guide to spotting, understanding and stopping viral misinformation

Scary claims about women being drugged with perfume and robbed keep resurfacing on social media. The posts often mention a substance called “Axter” and urge readers to share the warning widely. But this is a decades-old urban legend with no credible evidence, and one that social media has given new life.

Why these claims spread

Hoaxes like this thrive on fear and urgency. Posts are typically vague  mentioning “a mall” or “a lady” without verifiable details – and often end with instructions to “share with all women.” This format encourages rapid sharing, even when the information is false. Social media’s speed and reach are making such old hoaxes feel new again.

The story's origins

This ‘perfume scam’ dates back to late-1990s email chain letters. US fact-checking site Snopes traced one of the earliest cases to a 1999 incident in Alabama, where a woman claimed she was robbed after sniffing a perfume sample. But investigations found inconsistencies in her account and no unusual substances in her system. Since then, the story has resurfaced repeatedly, with minor tweaks to the alleged drug or location.

How to identify hoaxes

• Vague details: The post lacks specifics such as verifiable people, places or sources.
• Unverified substances or claims: The chemicals or methods often work as described.
• Urgent “share” prompts: Messages that push you to forward them without verification are often a red flag.
• Check trusted sources: A lack of confirmation from fact-checking websites, official reports or reputable news outlets.

Why it matters

Forwarding unverified warnings fuels unnecessary fear, distracts from real risks and allows misinformation to spread. Taking a moment to verify before sharing keeps you – and your community – better informed and safer.

Other hoaxes that just won't quit

• The poisoned’ Dew bottled water hoax that is much shared online.
• The SA police "warning" not to help crying children.
• The Momo Challenge that "carries all the hallmarks" of a hoax.
• That a Nigerian infected Cadbury’s chocolate with HIV. He didn't.
• That drug dealers are trying to lure kids with ‘strawberry meth’.

Recommended reading

• Africa Check’s guide to zombie claims: how to spot false information that just won’t die.

• The minister was right about the size of Kenya’s debt but mangled some of his figures, including when repayments crossed 50% of revenues.
• On education, he presented a partial picture, claiming the sector receives 27% of total spending. In reality, that figure applies only to a subset of expenditure; the full picture is considerably less generous.
• While he was right about current power generation, his framing that Kenya “needs” 10,000 MW of electricity blurs the line between long-term ambitions and actual demand. Official plans set lower targets.

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, despite being widely shared. 

FALSE: No, a South African student did not receive R630,432 instead of R6,000 from aid scheme NSFAS.

FALSE: That South African power utility Eskom is giving away free electricity units via a dodgy online link – it’s a scam.

FALSE:Strange videos of impossibly young-looking men advertising a “wellness & hydration” supplement are AI-generated and not proof of the product's anti-ageing properties. These videos are nothing more than eye-catching “slop” used as viral marketing.

FALSE: A photo from 2025 cargo ship collision has been falsely shared as showing a Liberian-flagged vessel burning after an Iranian attack.

Kenya 🇰🇪

FALSE: Disregard an altered image showing emaciated Kenyan president William Ruto.

FAKE: No, former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta is not planning to broker a truce between incumbent president William Ruto and his former deputy.

FAKE: Kenya’s ex-deputy president Rigathi Gachagua didn’t link president Ruto to former prime minister Odinga’s death – viral graphics are fabricated.

FAKE: No, Kenya’s Daily Nation paper didn’t publish a notice about a conference or leadership changes in the country's troubled ODM party.

SCAM: Kenyan manufacturer Boma Mabati Factory is not selling ‘reject’ roofing materials – ignore imposter Facebook pages.

SCAM: No, Kenya Medical Training College admissions and placements are not handled via personal numbers, ignore this fake document shared online.

Nigeria 🇳🇬

FALSE: Nigeria's waterways authority has debunked claims that 150 bandits drowned in the Sokoto river.

FALSE: No evidence that Nigeria's anti-graft agencies found ex-Kaduna governor El-Rufai awarded a major highway contract to family.

FALSE: The governor of Nigeria’s Edo state did not threaten to pull down opposition billboards or arrest those erecting them.

FALSE: No, Trump didn’t slam Nigerian president’s UK visit after deadly attacks in Maiduguri.

MISLEADING: A video of the Nigerian president’s son thanking Nigerians for supporting his father’s administration has resurfaced. But it is old and being shared out of context.

From crime and scams to health and AI, we’ve fact-checked it all. Which topics sparked the most buzz – and how do they stack up globally? Discover the trends in our monthly tracker.

In February, we fact-checked 100 claims circulating on social media. In South Africa, scams, particularly learnerships and job opportunities, dominated, followed closely by health misinformation including so-called miracle cures and dubious products.

On our WhatsApp line, we received over 40 claims. Crime and violence topped the list – especially a false claim that helping strangers use their smartphones could expose you to ‘AI biometric identity fraud’. This misrepresents how biometric security and impersonation scams actually work.

Claims related to governance and service delivery, and the environment, ranked second and third for the month.

But how does this compare to global trends?

Global market research firm Ipsos tracks what people worry about across several countries, including South Africa. In February South Africans' top concerns were unemployment, followed by crime and violence.

Ipsos recorded concern about crime and violence at 53% for February, a trend reflected in the claims sent to us by our subscribers, many of which take the form of false warnings about crime. 

Who checks the facts? "Behind the Facts" interviews the fact-checkers fighting misinformation.

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Your weekly dose of facts in newsletter form is created by Laura Kapelari (@laurakapelari). It is edited by Lee Mwiti (@LMAfrican) and Cayley Clifford (@cayleyclifford).