The Philippine social welfare agency says it is not affiliated with a page that promised 5,000 pesos of financial aid to Filipinos affected by Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae, which pounded swathes of the archipelago in late October 2022. Posts from a page impersonating the agency about purported aid were shared hundreds of times online following the storm. While the Department of Social Welfare and Development is offering financial assistance to victims of Nalgae, a representative told AFP the amount varies depending on the agency's assessment.

The false claim was shared more than 200 times after being posted here on October 29 by a Facebook page called "DSWD Ayuda Update".

"DSWD" refers to the Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development while "Ayuda Update" translates to English as "Aid Update".

The Tagalog-language post claims victims of "Paeng" -- the local name for Nalgae -- could claim 5,000 pesos ($90) in financial aid through the popular mobile banking app GCash.

"TO THOSE AFFECTED BY STORM PAENG. JUST MESSAGE HERE," it says.

"WE DO NOT CALL OR TEXT. PROTECT YOUR GCASH ACCOUNT! DO NOT GIVE AWAY YOUR (PIN/OTP/CODE) TO AVOID GETTING HACKED!"

Screenshot of the false post taken November 16, 2022

Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae triggered flooding and landslides across the Philippines in late October -- killing more than 160 people.

Scientists have warned that deadly and destructive storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate...

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