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Kenyans warned of scam ads for jobs at World Bank, Lighting Africa

Scammers are targeting Kenyans with fake job adverts that claim the Lighting Africa programme of the World Bank is hiring.

The ads, which show the Lighting Africa and World Bank logos, have been posted on Facebook and on job websites.

They say there are many vacancies at Lighting Africa, including for 192 solar panel distributors, 96 electricians and 82 drivers.

Since the 12 July 2019 application deadline in the ads, Kenyans who applied have started getting apparent offer letters after being contacted privately via text messages

One of the conditions listed in the offer letter is to pay a KSh1,000 (about US$10) “Generation Fee” to a mobile phone number, via M-Pesa mobile money transfer. 

The jobs are supposed to start on 1 November 2019, with contracts ending on 31 October 2022.



Lighting Africa, Solar World Group ‘not behind this scheme’


On 2 October 2019, Lighting Africa advised job seekers that all the project’s announcements would be posted on Kenya’s energy ministry website.

And on 8 October, Lighting Africa warned that the job offers were fake.

The organisation said: “Please note that the World Bank, IFC, and/or Lighting Africa are not behind this scheme and have no affiliation or connection of any kind whatsoever with these alleged offers of employment. The World Bank Group does NOT request applicants to pay any of its entities as a condition of employment.” 

They also shared a sample of the fake letter on Twitter.

Solar World Group, a renewable energy company working in East and Central Africa, also distanced itself from the job adverts. They encouraged people to report the ads to the police. – Dancan Bwire




 

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