Claim: A widely circulated message on WhatsApp says the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is conducting a mass recruitment exercise in Ghana.
Verdict: False. UNICEF Ghana has refuted the claim, describing the message as a “fake job offer.” The global body has warned the public to beware of such “fraudulent job offers.” A Facebook user who voluntarily shared the message in his WhatsApp groups says he was deceived into believing it was authentic.
Full Text
A WhatsApp message which has gone viral in Ghana says the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is undertaking a mass recruitment exercise in the country.
“The 2023 Recruitment form is available, and recruitment has begun for anyone interested between the ages of 18 and 40,” the message read.
According to the WhatsApp message, all interested persons would have to pay a moderate fee depending on the position being applied for, ranging from GHS500 to GHS1,200.
“All nationalities are eligible to apply,” the message concluded. See here for the link to the website where potential applicants would have to visit to apply for the job.
DUBAWA set out to investigate the claim because of the interest it has generated on Ghana’s social media.
Verification
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in Ghana has refuted the claim that it is undertaking a mass recruitment exercise in the country.
In a statement published on its Facebook page yesterday, June 14, 2023, the global body has cautioned the public to disregard “fraudulent job offers” making the rounds on social media.
“Beware of UNICEF fake job websites. Don’t fall prey to scammers who offer dream jobs but steal your personal information,” UNICEF Ghana said.
Also, a Facebook user who voluntarily shared the message in his WhatsApp groups says he was deceived into believing it was authentic.
“This fraudulent people made me deceive my community members about a job recruitment from UNICEF,” Fenteng Jacob commented under UNICEF Ghana’s disclaimer.
He said he was so embarrassed after a friend drew his attention to the fake message.
“In fact, I will advise my colleagues that anytime you see such information, do your possible best to cross-check [before] you share them,” he wrote.
Similarly, a Google search by DUBAWA showed that similar messages have been making the rounds in several countries worldwide. See here, here and here.
DUBAWA’s research has shown that these messages have been circulating since 2021, prompting the world body to issue a disclaimer about the “fictitious employment offers” in 2022. See here.
UNICEF noted that “such fraudulent correspondence may appear legitimate: they may feature a UNICEF logo, appear to originate from an official-looking email address or website, or they may be sent by individuals purporting to represent UNICEF or an entity which includes the word UNICEF in its name.”
However, “UNICEF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees), and it does not request any banking information,” UNICEF said.
Conclusion
Contrary to social media users’ claim, UNICEF is not conducting a mass recruitment exercise in 2023. UNICEF Ghana has disputed the claim on Facebook, describing the message as “fraudulent.”
Also, a Facebook user who shared the message in his WhatsApp groups says he was deceived into believing it was authentic.
