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The rail management urges the public to be cautious when engaging with unverified and dubious accounts on social media
Claim: The Metro Rail Transit Line-3 (MRT-3) is offering free rides for the entire year as part of its 30th anniversary.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a series of September 26 posts by the Facebook page Manila Metro. As of writing, the most engaged post made by the author has 340 combined reactions, 150 comments, and 46 shares. There have been several comments on these posts with images of the alleged card that users claim they received after taking advantage of the offer.
It bears the caption, “MRT is celebrating its 30th anniversary and giving you free rides for a whole year! Don’t miss this opportunity — the promotion lasts only 5 days. Register on the website or through the app and get your card for 12 months of free travel.”
It also included an apply now button that links to an unverified website where users can supposedly avail of the promo.
The facts: In a post on its official Facebook account, the Department of Transportation (DOTr)–MRT-3 administration denied any affiliation with the accounts that spread the claim, saying “any statements made on the pages, including supposed promos for free rides, are not sanctioned by the rail line.”
The rail line added that it will never ask for bank account details from transacting passengers and cautions the public to be careful when engaging with unofficial and suspicious accounts on social media.
Beep card brand owner AF Payments Inc. also previously warned the public against the same fraudulent promo and said it is currently investigating this online scheme.
The pages bearing the claim appear after the MRT-3 announced on September 17 that it will offer free rides for government officials from September 18 to 20 as part of the Philippine Civil Service’s 124th anniversary.
Fake details: Contrary to the misleading Facebook posts, MRT-3 will only have its 25th anniversary this year, having started operations in December 1999.
Same scheme: The fake free train ride promo in MRT-3 noticeably followed the same scheme of a supposed travel card offered by Philippine Airlines and the yet-to-be-completed Metro Manila Subway Project, which Rappler had debunked in the past.
The comment sections of the accounts from which the claim originated were seemingly flooded by fake testimonials from foreign users who allegedly availed of the advertised promotions. A look at many of these accounts revealed that they appeared to be newly created with no visible engagement from their friends.
Official accounts: For official updates on MRT-3’s promos and announcements, refer to its official website, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts. – Larry Chavez/Rappler.com
Larry Chavez is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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