Jibi MosesNovember 30, 2025
The definition in the landscape of information disorder, “zombie claims” refer to false information, scams, or misleading narratives that have been thoroughly and publicly debunked — “killed off” by facts and evidence — yet continue to rise from the dead and circulate.
Much like a cinematic zombie, these claims are persistent, hard to eradicate completely, and often reappear unexpectedly on social media, messaging apps (like WhatsApp), or through word-of-mouth networks, long after they have been proven wrong.
Why It Matters: The Danger of the Undead Narrative
Talking about and identifying zombie claims is critical because their refusal to “die” causes ongoing real-world harm.
a). Erosion of Trust: When debunked falsehoods keep circulating, they cause the public to doubt credible sources, scientific consensus, and official institutions.
b). Wasted Resources: Journalists, fact-checkers, and government agencies must spend valuable time and money repeatedly addressing the same falsehoods instead of focusing on new threats.
c). Direct Harm: Zombie claims in health can lead people to dangerous remedies; in finance, they lead to monetary loss; and in politics, they can incite tension based on events that never happened or were resolved long ago.
Categories of Zombie Claims in Information Disorder
Zombie claims generally fall into two main categories within information disorder:
a) Persistent Misinformation These are claims that have been disproven but continue to circulate because they tap into people’s fears, deep-seated biases, or distrust of official sources.
- General Examples: Unfounded medical advice (e.g., drinking saltwater to cure a virus), recycled election misinformation aimed at delegitimising results years later, or conspiracy theories that refuse to fade away.
b) Fraudulent “Zombie” Scams These are unfounded claims designed specifically for financial gain or data theft. Even after authorities issue warnings and shut down initial operations, copies of the scam keep appearing to trap new victims.
- General Examples: Fake claims regarding government benefits (like the persistence of COVID-19 relief scams long after programmes ended), nonexistent scholarship opportunities requiring an “application fee”, or fraudulent job offers.
Contextualizing Zombie Claims in South Sudan
In South Sudan, the information landscape — reliant heavily on Facebook, WhatsApp groups, and word-of-mouth in areas with lower literacy — is particularly fertile ground for zombie claims. The post-conflict environment and reliance on aid agencies create specific avenues for these “undead” narratives to persist.
Examples Relevant to South Sudan:
- The “NGO Recruitment Fee” Zombie Scam: This is perhaps the most common zombie claim in the country. Despite repeated official statements from the WFP, World Vision, the Red Cross, and others that they never charge fees for job applications, fake recruitment notices circulate constantly. They often use stolen logos and recycled job descriptions, resurfacing every few months to cheat hopeful young job seekers out of money for “processing fees”.
- Recycled Imagery of Conflict: In times of localised tension, old photographs or videos showing violence from years past (sometimes even from different countries) are often reposted and claimed to be current footage. Even after these images are fact-checked and dated, they reappear during the next flare-up to incite fear and deepen tribal or political divisions.
- The “Oil Money Dividend” Rumour: A persistent piece of misinformation that periodically recirculates via word-of-mouth and WhatsApp is the claim that the government is about to hand out direct cash payments to citizens from oil revenues, requiring people to register (and sometimes pay a fee) to receive their share. This has been debunked multiple times but returns whenever economic pressure is high.
- Health Misinformation: Claims that specific local herbs or traditional methods are a “secret cure” for complex diseases like HIV/AIDS or hepatitis — and that modern medicine is a conspiracy to hide them — are zombie claims that deter people from seeking effective medical treatment.
A Related Financial Concept: “Zombie Debt”
While usually discussed in the context of information disorder, the term is also applicable in finance.
“Zombie debt” is old financial debt that is no longer legally collectable because the statute of limitations has expired. However, unscrupulous debt collectors buy this “dead” debt for pennies on the dollar and try to bring it back to life, pressuring or tricking individuals into paying money they no longer legally owe.
The ClarityDesk
Emmanuel Bida
