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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Economy & business fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about economy & business. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

7,096 published reviews in this topic

Fact Crescendo Sri LankaEconomy & business

Port City තුළ භාවිතය සඳහා රු.10,000ක නෝට්ටුවක් චීන රජය විසින් නිකුත් කළාද?

Publisher’s rating: False

The review examined social-media posts claiming that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi formally presented a new 10,000-rupee note for use in Sri Lanka, including Colombo Port City and Hambantota. The posts attributed the note to the People’s Bank of China and alleged that it was a new currency unit. The investigation connected the claim to Wang’s visit and a Port City event, rather than treating the note image alone as proof of issuance.

Deutsche Presse-AgenturEconomy & business

Das Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) hat einen Riesenhaufen fiktive Betten angemeldet und damit mehr als 70 Millionen Euro Steuergelder abgesahnt. Der Vorstandsvorsitzende der Firma heißt Scholz.

Publisher’s rating: Es stimmt, dass Olaf Scholz' Bruder Jens der Vorstandsvorsitzende des Universitätsklinikums Schleswig-Holstein ist. Für die behauptete Zahl von 70 Millionen Euro für die Schaffung neuer Intensivkapazitäten dort gibt es jedoch keinerlei Belege. In der ersten Corona-Welle im Jahr 2020 erhielt das Klinikum vom Bund dafür 11,7 Millionen Euro. Hinweise, dass die im Gegenzug bereitgehaltenen Betten dort «fiktiv», also gar nicht vorhanden sind oder waren, gibt es nicht.

The claim concerns the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), whose chairman was Jens Scholz, brother of Olaf Scholz. It alleged that the hospital registered fictitious intensive-care beds and received more than €70 million for them. The DPA review examined the hospital’s federal funding for additional intensive-care capacity in 2020 and whether the beds it reported existed. It says the federal scheme paid hospitals a flat €50,000 for each additional intensive-care bed, and that the Health Ministry’s funding document listed €11.7 million for UKSH. The hospital confirmed to DPA that it received that amount; the review says it found no evidence for the alleged €70 million in bed-creation funding. (S1) UKSH told DPA that it had increased its intensive-care bed count from 172 to 406, describing 243 as additional beds. The review says that number broadly corresponds to the €11.7 million payment. It also notes an earlier UKSH press release in April 2020 reported 190 newly created beds, while later UKSH figures, including those from summer and November 2021, gave a total of 406. The review found no substantiation for claims that the beds were fictitious or had never existed; UKSH said they were available, though some were reserve capacity requiring staffing and operational changes to use. (S1) The review distinguishes this per-bed funding from separate compensation for hospitals’ financial losses when planned treatments were cancelled. For UKSH, it reports approximately €29 million in federal compensation for weeks 12–40 of 2020, and approximately €31 million for all of 2020 according to the hospital. Those payments were individually calculated, not paid as a flat amount per bed. The review also reports that it found no indication that Jens Scholz personally benefited from the family relationship or the payments. (S1)

Fact Crescendo Sri LankaEconomy & business

ඩොලර් අර්බුදයට විසදුම Spider Man වැනි ජනප්‍රිය චිත්‍රපට නිපදවා විදෙස් විනිමය උපදවා ගැනීමයි- අනුර කුමාර ?

Publisher’s rating: False

The claim attributed a specific proposal to JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake: that Sri Lanka could address its dollar shortage by producing popular films like Spider-Man and earning foreign currency. The post presented the words as remarks he made on the online programme Talk with Sudaththa. The review describes the circulating post as alleging that “අපේ රජයක් පත්වෙළා පළමු වසරේ අපි කරන ප්‍රධානම කාර්‍යයක් තමයි ස්පයිඩර් මෑන් ගණයේ ජනප්‍රිය චිත්‍රපටි 2 ක් හදන එක.” The investigation checked whether Dissanayake appeared on that programme and reviewed the broadcast. It reports that he took part in a live YouTube programme on January 2, and that the review team watched the approximately two-hour discussion. According to the article, he did not discuss making Spider-Man-style films as a solution to the dollar crisis during the programme: “මෙම පැය දෙකක කාලය පුරාවටම ඩොලර් අර්බුදයට විසදුම් ලෙස ස්පයිඩර් මෑන් වැනි චිත්‍රපට නිපදවීම පිළිබදව ජවිපෙ නායකයා කතා නොකළ බවයි.” The review also says it searched mainstream media for reports of Dissanayake making the statement and contacted the JVP media unit, which denied that he had ever made it. Separately, it checked the post’s supporting claim about Spider-Man: No Way Home’s earnings. The article reports an approximate total of US$1.37 billion, rather than the post’s claim of US$3 billion in its first two weeks. Its conclusion is that Dissanayake did not make the attributed proposal, and that the circulating post is misleading and false.

FACTLYEconomy & business

A purported online website of ‘Amazon’ offering 15,000 free products on Christmas

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

The claim concerned a link circulating on social media that purported to be an Amazon website offering 15,000 free products for Christmas. The review says the link led to a survey asking visitors to complete a quiz and share the link with WhatsApp friends. Its investigation identified the site as a fraudulent imitation rather than an Amazon offer. [Source: S1]

Deutsche Presse-AgenturEconomy & business

Günther Jauch wirbt für Bitcoin-Investments.

Publisher’s rating: Die vermeintliche Werbekampagne ist gefälscht. Günther Jauch hat sich davon bereits distanziert. Es kursieren ähnliche Fälschungen, in denen weitere Prominente genannt werden.

The investigation concerns a website that purported to show Günther Jauch endorsing Bitcoin investments. Its headline claimed he had revealed a financial shortcut that could make many Germans rich, supposedly after receiving a tip from a contestant on the RTL programme “Wer wird Millionär.” The review identifies the alleged endorsement as fabricated and reports that Jauch had already distanced himself from it. [S1: “Nun soll angeblich auch der bekannte TV-Moderator Günther Jauch für Bitcoin werben: «Jauch in Schwierigkeiten nachdem er ein finanzielles Schlupfloch bekanntgegeben hat, das viele Deutsche in kurzer Zeit reich macht», heißt es auf einer Website (Schreibfehler im Original). Demnach hätte ein Kandidat der RTL-Show «Wer wird Millionär» Jauch den erfolgversprechenden Tipp gegeben.”] The review cites Jauch’s statement in an ARD “Plusminus” report about dubious Bitcoin campaigns: he said he had never owned Bitcoin and would not invest in it. That statement directly conflicts with the impression that he was promoting Bitcoin investments. [S1: “«Ich habe noch nie in meinem Leben ein Bitcoin besessen», sagte Günther Jauch Im März 2021 in einem Beitrag der ARD-Sendung «Plusminus» über unseriöse Bitcoin-Kampagnen. «Ich gebe auch zu, dass ich das System bis heute noch nicht ganz verstehe, aber ich würde das nie anfassen.»] The review also describes signs of fabrication on the purported advertorial itself: spelling errors, a caption that did not match the pictured scene, and a date that automatically changed each day. It further says the site lacked an imprint, privacy information, and other indications of its origin. Together with Jauch’s cited denial, these details support the finding that the apparent endorsement was not a genuine campaign. [S1: “Im Text finden sich Rechtschreibfehler wie «Borris Becker». Auffällig ist auch der Unterschied zwischen Bildunterschrift und Foto. Laut Bildunterschrift sollen auf dem Bild «zwei Kommilitonen» zu sehen sein, stattdessen sieht man Jauch in seiner TV-Show. Die Seite benutzt zudem einen Automatismus, der das Datum in der Bildunterschrift täglich ändert und so Aktualität vorgaukelt.”]

FACTLYEconomy & business

Ramraj Cotton is conducting a competition to offer 20,000 rupees as a Christmas gift

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

The claim concerns a purported Ramraj Cotton competition offering 20,000 rupees as a Christmas gift. FACTLY reports that the offer appeared on websites using Ramraj Cotton’s name and that it received a request to check whether the promotion was authentic. The investigation concluded that the website running the competition was fraudulent, not an official Ramraj Cotton offer. To check the promotion, FACTLY searched Ramraj Cotton’s official website and its Facebook and Twitter accounts for details of the competition, and reported finding none. It also examined a Facebook post about Christmas gift vouchers: those vouchers had to be purchased, and the post did not describe a competition. Separately, it checked the competition website’s domain information, which identified the domain as “fepkpg.tw” and showed it was registered in China. The decisive evidence reported was Ramraj Cotton’s direct response to FACTLY: the company confirmed the website offering the 20,000-rupee Christmas gift in its name was fake. FACTLY also says the company posted a clarification on its official website, warning customers to rely on that site for offers. Thus, the evidence distinguishes the fraudulent promotion from the company’s paid gift vouchers and from genuine offers on its official channels.

dpaEconomy & business

Die wirtschaftlichen Hauptakteure der Coronakrise hängen auf vielfältige Weise eng zusammen.

Publisher’s rating: Eine ganze Reihe dieser Behauptungen über angebliche Verbindungen zwischen Pharmafirmen, Zentralbanken, Bill Gates, George Soros und der Weltgesundheitsorganisation ist falsch.

The review examines a Facebook post circulated in Luxembourg that presented purported links among pharmaceutical companies, financiers and other prominent figures as a connected account of the pandemic. The post asked Luxembourg’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel, and health minister, Paulette Lenert, why they had not disclosed the alleged facts, and claimed that the information could be found online. The review describes the post as a reshared, slightly modified version of one that had circulated more than a year earlier. <br><br>Several of the alleged links depended on confusing distinct kinds of relationship. The review says the Wuhan Institute of Virology belongs to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, not Glaxo, and reports that GSK does not own Pfizer: the companies instead have a joint venture in consumer healthcare. That venture’s products include everyday items, not vaccines or medicines. The review also says BlackRock does not manage GSK’s finances; it is an institutional shareholder in both GSK and Pfizer. <br><br>Other examples likewise distinguish ownership from investment or association. The review says Winterthur belongs to AXA, not George Soros, and that it did not build a Wuhan laboratory; the institute’s laboratory arose from French-Chinese government cooperation, with France supplying safety technology. It also says Microsoft is not owned by Bill Gates and identifies Vanguard as its largest shareholder and BlackRock as its second-largest. The review concludes that the post is a collection of false claims, rather than evidence establishing the broad network it suggests.