IN SHORT: South Africans beware, potato crisps manufacturer Simba does not advertise job opportunities on this Facebook page. Visit their official website instead.
According to a Facebook page called Simba Chips Hiring 2024/2025, there are job opportunities at South African potato chips maker Simba.
One of the posts reads: “Simba Chips Hiring, Chips Bakers, Stock Packers, Cleaners, Drivers, Securities And Others.”
It claims that social media users only need a “Grade 10, 11, 12” level of education to qualify for these jobs. However, the graphic in the Facebook posts lists a few other requirements, depending on the type of job.
“Kindly ‘Send Messange’ Inbox For Full Application,” the posts say, adding a link where users can supposedly apply for the jobs.
“Application Form Is Available Inbox Or Via WhatsApp.”
The page’s posts have been republished elsewhere on Facebook, and the same job advert has also been posted to public Facebook groups with thousands to millions of members.
We’ve debunked many scam pages and accounts impersonating legit businesses and luring social media users with false job offers. Is this Facebook page and its posts the same?
We checked
Signs of a scam
Although the job advert shows the Simba logo, there are some red flags that something is amiss.
First, the page's posts contain spelling and grammatical errors. A corporation like Simba would normally post messages free of these errors.
The link in the posts also takes users to a website called “Daily Update”, which has several pop-up ads and offers for other company jobs instead of the official Simba website. This should already make social media users suspicious.
The posts claim that users can send a message via Facebook or to the WhatsApp number provided. This is a big red flag for phishing, a tactic scammers use to trick users into revealing sensitive information.
Simba has previously asked its consumers to send a WhatsApp message for one of its promotions, but the number does not match the one in the Facebook posts.
There are also suspicious responses to comments on some of the posts. The page responds to interested social media users by asking them to post to “5 different groups then send your full names and location”.
Asking social media users to share the post is a known tactic to gain reach for a page or linked websites. Scammers will often ask for full names, locations, or other personal information and use it to commit fraud.
Simba previously exposed some impersonators, saying they were fake websites and social media accounts. It urged the public to report any impersonators straight to the company.
Simba offers job opportunities on its website.
Tips to keep safe online
With several fake profiles offering false job opportunities over the festive season, here are some red flags to look out for to keep safe online:
- “Send us a message”: Most scams include a call to action to send a WhatsApp or direct Facebook message to the scammer. Be careful; the goal is often to have you share personal information, such as your ID number.
- Asking you to share: This is an example of engagement bait. The more people share the scammer’s posts, the greater the Facebook page’s reach.
- Check official pages: If a scammer is impersonating a well-known company, head to their official website or social media handles to check if the offer is legit.
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
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