Conmen have grown more sophisticated and are now producing fake employment letters complete with realistic-looking management signatures and stamps.
In the latest warning issued on Sunday, October 3, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) cautioned thousands of its applicants against falling for the new letters being dished out by the fraudsters.
In one instance, a fake calling letter addressed to an individual identified as Boniface Tulel Longole congratulated him for getting the a well paying job at the service.
The letter promised the applicant that he had emerged successful during an interview he had partaken and that he was to report to West Pokot office for a final examination and commence duties.
The fraudsters went a step further to include realistic-looking signatures from four management officers in the organisation including a medical officer, human resource manager, S.P. of KWS and a staffing officer.
The letter also spotted a stamp bearing the position of Director General of KWS and a phone number in a light green ink mimicking that of an actual stamp.
Curious enough, however, the calling letter did not have any names of the holders of the five offices whose occupiers allegedly appended their signatures.
"KWS is cautioning members of the public to be wary of fraudsters purporting to issue letters of job placement in the Service. Please report to the nearest KWS office or police station if approached," cautioned KWS.
The warning comes just months after 5,000 applicants turned up for recruitment where the Kenya Wildlife Service was seeking to fill a mere 80 slots.
KWS had shortlisted 5,500 candidates in Kenya, out of more than 12,000 applicants. Despite publishing the list of the shortlisted, thousands of others showed up at the Voi Stadium in January 2021.
The hiring officers at the Voi Stadium, the recruitment center for Taita Taveta County, had a hard time controlling the enthusiastic young men and women who turned up for the exercise.
The recruitment of community scouts by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), is part of the National Government Post Covid 19 Economic Stimulus Program.
The minimum requirement for the application was a KCPE certificate and being in the 18 to 35 years age bracket.
Below is the fake calling letter:
