Original article (in Serbian) was published on 24/2/2024; Author: Ivan Subotić
A reader alerted us to a story on srb-news.com claiming an “unexpected twist in pension payments.” Featuring a photo of Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, the article contradicts recent announcements of pension increases by stating, “this happy news has been rescinded.” It alleges pensions will soon be cut, citing the country’s economic climate as unable to support such a significant measure. However, our investigation confirms this report as fake news from an anonymous website aiming to lure readers with sensational stories for the purpose of disseminating manipulative advertisements.
An Alleged 14.5% Reduction
The news piece also features a supposed quote from Finance Minister Sinisa Mali: “Starting next month, all pensioners will see a 14.5 percent reduction in their pensions, a measure deemed necessary to offset losses from the economic crisis. This adjustment, however, will not affect pensioners with disabilities or those on social assistance,” Mali allegedly stated.
To confirm the accuracy of these claims, Fake News Tragac reached out to the Ministry of Finance, specifically to Minister Sinisa Mali’s office. The department clarified that the news is fabricated. “We wish to clarify that the statement attributed to Finance Minister Sinisa Mali is not genuine but rather a piece of fake news,” Ana Pancic, head of the public relations department at the Ministry of Finance, informed Tragac. She also mentioned that this incident is not the first time the institution and citizens of Serbia have been targeted by similar false news.
In October of the previous year, the Ministry of Finance already alerted Serbian citizens to be wary of “fabricated news featuring counterfeit statements by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali, disseminated via unverified web portals, social media, and online communication tools.” In that instance, misleading information circulated online, falsely alleging that pensioners would not receive a one-time financial assistance of 20,000 dinars (around 18 USD).
What Are the Objectives of This and Similar Articles?
Upon further review of srb-news.com, we discovered that, beyond the fabricated story about pension cuts, the site is flooded with a vast array of manipulative advertisements, similar to those documented in Tragac’s Registry of Fraudulent Sites. Notably, it promotes questionable products like Natubone, Parazol and Testoy, which have previously been reported on by Tragac.
This same fake news regarding pension reductions was also found on another website, pronewsua.com. This site has co-opted the Radio and Television of Serbia’s logo for its header in an attempt to deceive its visitors.
Efforts to identify the ownership of these two websites were thwarted by protected registrant data, making it impossible for the Who.is tool to uncover their identities. However, it’s confirmed that both sites are registered in Ukraine, specifically in the regions of Zakarpattya and Dnipro.