The site is a scam as no sponsorships are given out after completing the application.
This site claiming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is offering sponsorships to the faithful to perform #Hajj in 2023 is a HOAX.
Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which in 2023 is expected to take place from 25 June to 30 June. The dates may vary depending on the sighting of the moon. The link to the website has been shared here and there.
According to the website, the sponsorship offered through the Prince’s foundation, is open to every applicant.
The site asks applicants to give their details, including name, phone number, email address, and age and select whether they have a passport to proceed.
After this, users are informed they have qualified for the sponsorship. However, to proceed, they have to share the link to the site with five groups or 15 friends. After this stage the user is redirected to the ‘appointment’ page before receiving a confirmation email on completion of the requirement.
Sites that ask users to share a link to redeem a prize or sponsorship are characteristic of hoax sites, which seek to increase the reach of a scam. Unsuspecting users may then be at risk of having their personal information stolen for fraud or identity theft.
A WhoIs search to determine the authenticity of the site indicates that it was registered on 28 March 2023 in Oyo State, Nigeria while The Mohammed bin Salman website is registered in Saudi Arabia under SaudiNIC, short form for Saudi Network Information Centre.
Consequently, a search on the foundation’s website does not bring up any such sponsorship.
Further, according to this news website, Saudi authorities have warned worshippers to be wary of online registration scams.
PesaCheck has looked into a site claiming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is offering sponsorships to the Hajj and found it to be a HOAX.
Source: pasacheck. org
