The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Wednesday dismissed allegations of distributing recruitment letters to qualified applicants for ranger positions.
In a statement, the Wildlife Service flagged the letters and urged Kenyans to be vigilant of scammers using such opportunities to con unsuspecting individuals.
KWS reiterated that the recruitment is open and accessible to all eligible persons and no fee is charged to persons seeking employment.
“The attention of Kenya Wildlife Service has been drawn to fake calling letters being issued by fraudsters. We strongly advise the public to be vigilant of the fake letters,” KWS clarified.
Following the circulation of the fake recruitment letters, the wildlife agency came up with a list of things to look out for in a genuine recruitment calling letter.
According to the KWS, genuine recruitment letters have distinct security features that differentiate them from fake ones.
The security features on original recruitment cards include a centrally placed KWS logo, a watermark, and a unique serial number.
Kenyans were urged to be particularly keen while verifying the serial number, as those on genuine cards are distinct.
Meanwhile, KWS outlined that in most instances the fake recruitment letters contain grammatical errors, incorrect formatting, wrong reporting dates, and a poorly styled signature.
“Due to security concerns, samples of genuine cards cannot be displayed publicly,” KWS noted.
KWS was forced to issue clarification after online users raised concerns about the credibility of the recruitment letters being sold online.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua while commenting on the matter stated that the alleged scammers had been apprehended.
"Four individuals are already in custody over allegations of fraud related to this incident," the CS noted.
