Job seekers are urged to be wary, as a new scam on Whatsapp and other social media platforms has emerged where fraudsters gain personal details from unsuspecting applicants.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa has warned the public of fraudsters using an online job advertisement in the name of the organisation to obtain personal information from unsuspecting job seekers.

In a statement, the Commission warned that the advertisement, circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, claims that an ‘Election Committee’ had announced 50 000 vacancies for young people.

“The message goes on to ask people to submit their personal information in order to complete the application process,” reads the statement.

The advertisement is not legitimate, and residents are urged to not follow its prompts.

The email address and logo used in the message is not the Commission’s address and logo. However, unsuspecting job seekers may easily mistake the advert as legitimate and fall for the scam.

The Electoral Commission said it only advertises notices of jobs and vacancies on its official website www.elections.org.za.

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