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Uganda police cybercrime unit investigating ‘fraudulent’ job ad

An article on the Uganda-based website EchoNewsUg offering jobs in the country’s police force has been posted on Facebook.

“The Uganda Police has opened its application portal for its 2020/2021 recruitment exercise,” it reads

The article includes a document with details of minimum requirements and how to apply. The document has a link to the Uganda Police Force’s official website and the police headquarters’ contact details. 

But the other links in the document lead to a page on an amateur-looking WordPress site with the headline “2020-2021 Admissions and Jobs Recruitment Portal”. 

Other pages on the website give instructions on how to apply for universities and colleges in Uganda.

This website is similar to other scam job sites Africa Check has debunked. We investigated.



‘Fraudulent act’ – Uganda police


Despite at first glance appearing detailed, both the document shared by EchoNewsUg and the posts on the website fail to include crucial information, such as a deadline for applications. 

This is another clue that the ad is not legitimate.

A visit to the official police website confirms it. There is no job ad like it in the job adverts section of the website. The most recent information posted there is from 2018.

And the police have issued a press statement dismissing the advert as “fake news”.

“Our attention has been drawn to a fake advert making rounds on social media about Police recruitment,” the statement reads.

“This is to clarify that we have not issued nor advertised recruitment into the Uganda Police Force … The perpetrators behind the advert intend to defraud members of the public. Our cybercrime unit is doing its best to bring those behind this fraudulent act to book.” – Grace Gichuhi




 

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