Public Warned of Online Scammers Offering Fake Loans
They target people through social media and email, convincing them to pay fees as part of the fake application process.
Public Warned of Online Scammers Offering Fake Loans
The Zimbabwean government, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, is warning everyone about a scam involving fake grants and loans. Scammers pretending to be ministry officials are using Facebook to trick people into applying for non-existent financial aid, only to steal their money.
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The Ministry is really worried about this ongoing fraud. These scammers are fooling individuals and businesses by offering fake loans and grants. They target people through social media and email, convincing them to pay fees as part of the fake application process.
“The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is very concerned about the continued fraud by scammers who are deceiving unsuspecting individuals and entities by pretending to be officials from the Ministry and offering fake grants and loan opportunities through email and Facebook. The targeted individuals are being tricked into applying for loans but end up losing their hard-earned money in the fake application process,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry strongly advises everyone to ignore anyone offering loans or grants via Facebook, email, or any other platform.
Public Warned of Online Scammers Offering Fake Loans
They emphasized that the Ministry is not involved in providing any form of financial aid, and any such offers should be treated as scams.
“Fake loans, grants, adverts, and offer letters impersonating the Ministry are circulating. Be warned that these loan and grant offers are the work of scammers and must be ignored. The Ministry takes this opportunity to advise all stakeholders and citizens that it is not offering loans and grants. Anyone approached by such a proposition through email, Facebook, or any other means must not entertain such offers,” the Ministry added.
The Ministry revealed that the scam has been reported to the relevant authorities, who are working to catch the fraudsters. They encouraged everyone to report any suspicious messages or offers and to verify the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from the Ministry.
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“Reports have been made to the relevant authorities and measures are being taken to stop the fraudsters. Please stay safe and report any suspicious messages. We encourage everyone to verify the authenticity of any communication claiming to be from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce through the Communications and Advocacy Unit on email info@moic.org.zw or landline (263) 242791823/702733/700472/X Handle @Min_of_IC,” the Ministry said.
