CLAIM: Crypto explo deal generates US$4000 in profits for those who managed to invest just US$250
SOURCE: Zimbabwe Revolution (Facebook)
VERDICT: False
Context: The video showed Strive Masiyiwa speaking on how an investment of US$250 can generate US$4000 which translates to a 1500% profit. In the video Masiyiwa is captured encouraging Zimbabwe to make an investment of US$250 and wait for the money to multiply.
Later, towards the end of the video President Emmerson Mnangagwa is captured commending the scheme saying it has bailed many Zimbabweans from poverty.
FINDINGS
1.The video is AI generated because
a)Strive Masiyiwa and President Emerson Mnangagwa’s lip movements do not match the audio
b)The audio sounds robotic and there is slight delay between the audio and video.
c) The content does not align with Strive Masiyiwa’s usual tone and Mnangagwa’s voice was AI generated.
2.There is no such report on Strive Masiyiwa’s official pages. Rather he posted on his LinkedIn official page cautioning people about deep fakes stating that he posts his news on his verified pages on LinkedIn and Facebook.
3.There is no official report on cryptocurrency forums like Reddit’s Cryptocurrency (they could have picked such an explo deal).
b) Also,no reports from reputable financial news sources like Bloomberg, CNBC or Forbes.
4) To counter the claim that Mnangagwa is in support of the deal, an official repor from The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe indicates that the government has not regularised cryptocurrency dealing in Zimbabwe.
Conclusion
The claim is not true.
While Econet is exploring the potential of digital assets there is no specific “explo deal” that has been widely reported.There is no current authentic news of any exploitative scheme. Also,Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has maintained a firm position against cryptocurrencies, citing risks such as money laundering, fraud, and financial instability making Mnangagwa’s endorsement unlikely.
(This fact check was written by Kudzai Tamary Chikiwa as part of a Friedrich Naumann Foundation training for young female journalists)
