{"id":719,"date":"2020-04-07T14:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T14:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=719"},"modified":"2022-02-21T10:05:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T10:05:28","slug":"fact-check-misleading-message-conveyed-displaying-president-media-contact-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/fact-check-misleading-message-conveyed-displaying-president-media-contact-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Misleading message on essential food items goes viral!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 lockdown globally has manifested in various forms from country to country based on each nation\u2019s regime and level of contamination. Sri Lanka\u2019s lockdown for instance has manifested in the form of a curfew which has disabled incomes of several citizens such as daily wage earners.\u00a0 Access to food and other essential items to households especially in the Western province has been limited to delivery services.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, the lack of income and depleting financial resources in many households has created a difficult living situation with added issues like high delivery costs and several vendors increasing the prices of essential goods in this time of national crisis.  A number of posts have been circulating specifying details of delivery services and vendors who deliver essential items. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this backdrop a Facebook post went viral within few hours of posting along with it requesting public not to fall for opportunistic sellers as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LINK<\/a><\/td>ARCHIVE LINK<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The post in Sinhala says \u201c\u0d94\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1 \u0dc4\u0dd9\u0da7 \u0d89\u0db3\u0dbd\u0db8 \u0d9a\u0dad\u0dcf\u0d9a\u0dbb\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1. \u0dbd\u0dd4\u0db1\u0dd4 150, \u0dc3\u0dd0\u0db8\u0db1\u0dca 100, \u0db4\u0dbb\u0dd2\u0db4\u0dca\u0db4\u0dd4 65, \u0dc0\u0dd0\u0da9\u0dd2\u0db4\u0dd4\u0dbb \u0dc3\u0dad\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca \u0d9c\u0dd9\u0dc0\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1 \u0d91\u0db4\u0dcf \u0d85\u0dc0\u0dc3\u0dca\u0dad\u0dc0\u0dcf\u0daf\u0dd3\u0db1\u0dca\u0da7\u201d translated to English as \u201cFrom tomorrow onwards you can get Onions at Rs. 150, Salmon tins at Rs. 100 and Dahl at Rs. 65. Do not spend any additional money on opportunists\u201d and contact details were also provided as \u201c24 hour hotline 0114354550, 0114354655 or direct line 0112354354\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to its content, the post went viral with nearly 10,000 shares being noted. Considering the present situation in the country, when there is a dire need of procuring essential items for sustenance, posts as such getting viral is understandable.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We noticed several other text posts also with the same narrative had been circulated from last week of March as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Link<\/a><\/td>Archived<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since these posts do not accompany any official logo nor mention any state or private organization, we did an investigation to ascertain the authenticity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FACT CHECK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We began our verification process, by running a simple search on telephone numbers provided in order to ascertain identity only to discover that they were associated with the Presidential Secretariat as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LINK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On noticing the phone number association, we checked the official President Media Website and social media channels and did not notice any message relating to the above message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We contacted the President\u2019s team who informed us that this information is false and misleading the public and that 2 of the numbers (0114354550 & 0114354655) were in fact internal office lines that were converted as 24-hour hotline for the public to contact Presidents office, if the directives given by the government were not being implemented in a proper manner or to report any unwarranted activity causing inconvenience during COVID19 outbreak.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This information was published in the PMD News Twitter handle as seen below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

#PMDNews<\/a> #SriLanka<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QfbWOj1OW8<\/a><\/p>— President's Media Division of Sri Lanka – PMD (@PMDNewsGov) March 27, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>