FACT CHECK: Links for DOST scholarship online application lead to phishing websites

Claim: The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is accepting online scholarship applications through a shortened link.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A viral reel about the DOST scholarship application posted by Nagkakaisang Pilipino TV, a Facebook page with over 239,000 followers, is quickly gaining traction online. As of writing, the post has garnered more than 48,000 reactions; 3,100 comments; and 13,000 shares. There have also been multiple posts of similar content on the page in a span of a week, most of which have also gathered thousands of engagements.

The Facebook reel shows a supposed news report with an anchor reporting in a TV studio. He invites college and high school students to submit their applications through the link in the post’s caption. He also says that the scholarship comes with a P90,000 yearly allowance with free books and uniform.

In the caption, they shared three shortened links that they labeled consecutively as application, requirements, and details. All three links were, however, identical.

The facts: The video used in the post is AI-generated and baseless. An announcement on November 28 from the official Facebook page of DOST-Science Education Institute, its human resources arm, refers applicants to their e-application system, specifically developed to cater to matters about the undergraduate scholarships. The website contains the processes involved in the application, including frequently asked questions.

The DOST has also extended the undergraduate scholarships application deadline to Friday, December 5, for those who had registered on or before November 24.

Based on Hive Moderation, an AI-generated content detection tool, the posted reel is 94.5% likely to contain AI-generated content. Meanwhile, the post does not disclose that the video was AI-generated.

One of the key indicators was the multiple misspellings in the text displayed on the video. Official news reports typically do not contain such errors. This pattern is consistent with various AI-generated content, given its current stage of development.

Beware of phishing sites: Using urlscan.io, a link content scanner, it was found that all the links cited in the post lead to the same website that contains a registration form labeled, “Libreng Ayuda Pilipinas,” asking for the applicant’s name, birthday, gender, address, and contact details. This is a common form of phishing to steal user data, and this specific phishing link has resurfaced multiple times before. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Below the “submit” button is a supposed logo for “Filipino News Channel, Tahanan ng mga Balita,” but no such news outlet or brand can be verified to exist.

Here are related fact-checks about phishing scams that Rappler had already rated false:

• FACT CHECK: Registration links for PWD cash aid lead to phishing, shopping sites
• FACT CHECK: Registration links for ‘Christmas bonus’ payouts lead to phishing site
• FACT CHECK: News report on student cash incentives with 5kg rice is AI-generated

Official Accounts: For reliable information on DOST programs, services, and scholarship opportunities, refer to its official website only and verified accounts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Posts claiming that government agencies collect registration details through suspicious links not issued through their official accounts are a recurring phishing scheme and have been subject to fact-checking repeatedly. – Princess Leah Sagaad/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.