*Press Release
Earlier this year, residents in various neighborhoods of Limassol began finding handwritten notes in their mailboxes, on their cars, and at the entrances to their apartment buildings. Shortly thereafter, flyers appeared that resembled official announcements from government agencies. The explanation was simple: it was an advertising campaign.
The Campaigns
The handwritten notes were just one of the tests in a broader campaign. During the first half of 2026, the company tested different ways to introduce Rockup to the residents of Limassol: traditional digital advertising, flyers with QR codes, handwritten notes with a personal touch, as well as printed materials designed to resemble official government announcements.
Regarding the latter, the company is clear: the flyers that resembled government documents clearly indicated that they were promotional material, taking into account the feedback received from previous campaigns. This particular creative concept was designed to grab attention—and, as it turned out, it succeeded—but the leaflets themselves explicitly stated that they were advertisements.
“No matter what format we used, the goal was always the same: to introduce Rockup to local communities. Each campaign was an experiment to find our own voice. We recognize that some approaches sparked more discussion than we expected.”
— Rockup Messenger
The idea behind the “Ministry of Apps” was intentionally humorous—a fictional concept created to pique the public’s curiosity. The flyers never asked for payments or financial information. Their goal was to present an app for local communities—not to mislead the public.
The Cyprus Police were notified about this specific campaign. AlphaNews investigated the matter and found no evidence of illegal activity.
READ ALSO: The brochure from the “Cyprus Ministry of Apps” is a marketing gimmick, not a scam
How to Tell the Truth from Deception
The incident raised a broader question: in an era where phishing emails resemble bank notifications and promotional content often takes forms reminiscent of informational material, how can a citizen distinguish the trustworthy from the deceptive?
Digital security experts recommend examining a few key elements:
- Are you asked for personal information, payments, or passwords right from the start? Legitimate services rarely do this.
- Can you find the company through independent sources, such as an official website, company registration, or press coverage?
- If you contact the company, does it respond?
- Is there a privacy policy available, and is it easy to understand?
- What exactly are you being asked to do, and who benefits from it?
Based on these criteria, Rockup is a fully verifiable service. It is a registered Cypriot company. Its privacy policy is publicly available at rockup.com/privacy, and its team responds promptly to direct inquiries. All it asks of users is to open the app and see which neighbors are nearby.
READ ALSO: PHOTO: They’re posing as the… nonexistent “Cyprus Ministry of Apps” and supposedly promising solutions to neighborhood problems
What the app actually does
Rockup is a neighborhood messaging app that connects people based on their location rather than their existing contacts. There’s no need to exchange phone numbers or join a group. Users open the app and see real-time conversations about their street, building, or neighborhood.
The company presents Rockup as a tool for everyday, practical needs: searching for a lost pet, dealing with a power outage, or reporting a suspicious incident in the neighborhood.
Not everyone was convinced by the campaign. However, quite a few of those who downloaded the app, despite their initial reservations, changed their minds.
“Anna may not exist, but whoever created this app gave us a good reason to get to know our neighbors better.”
— Rockup user, from a neighborhood chat
The question, however, remains: In an age full of phishing emails, fake alerts, and online scams, when is skepticism justified—and when does it lead us to the wrong conclusions?
Rockup is available at rockup.com.
