A message which claims that Honda is “giving away” 300 Honda Activa 5G scooters this Diwali is being shared on WhatsApp with the following link, “http://honda.com-cc.com”. 

The message – “Honda is giving away 300 Free Honda Activa 5G Scooters to celebrate DIWALI” – has also reached Twitter and Facebook.

Fact-check

Upon clicking the link we found that it’s a fake website.

First, the URL itself hints that the ‘offer’ is a scam. The official website of Honda is honda.com and the portal specifically dedicated to Honda two-wheelers in India is honda2wheelersindia.com.

Second, the website’s interface is poor. It is basically an amalgamation of Honda logo with a generic picture lifted from the internet showcasing different colour variants of Honda Activa. The design of the website is optimised for mobile users and one cannot access it from a desktop. A shoddy website ‘go6.co’ opens up if one tries to access the portal using a desktop.

Third, the number of ‘remaining scooters’ always remains the same.

Lastly, the site asks a couple of generic questions and ‘gives away’ scooters to everyone who answers them. However, the site says that scooter will only be delivered if one forwards the link to at least 20 WhatsApp friends or groups. This is typical modus operandi of fake websites to dupe people online.

In conclusion, the message about Honda distributing 300 free Activa scooters is false. A shoddy website is masquearading as the company’s authentic portal.

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About the Author

Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.