By Mustapha Ceesay
CLAIM: “The application portal for the Gambia Revenue Authority 2024 is open”
SOURCE: All Free Byt (Warning: URL infected with malicious software)
VERDICT: FALSE
A viral claim indicates a call for application for jobs at the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA). The call titled: “The Gambia Revenue Authority 2024/2025 recruitment” is making the rounds on various WhatsApp platforms.
The call for applications made with a flyer that says “The application portal for the Gambia Revenue Authority 2024 is open”, has been widely shared on platforms where university students, teachers, and people in other walks of life are members.
To qualify for the job, the call states an applicant must be: Gambian; have no criminal record; have a valid National Id or International passport; be physically, mentally, and medically fit; be computer-literate; and have good character. The call instructs an applicant to visit a portal link (warning: URL infected with malicious software) to proceed with the application.
Findings
FactCheck Gambia visited the portal link. A click on it requests an applicant to press ‘1’ to access an application form soliciting some personal data. The url is infected with malicious software, according to Avast Free Antivirus.
By midday (12:10pm) on 21st August 2024, the phising fake jobs portal received tens of thousands of reactions. It has received 34, 000 shares, 40, 000 comments, and 165, 000 likes.
A research on the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) platforms did not show any posts backing the claim. In fact, GRA in a Facebook post on 20th August, 2024 denied opening any such recruitments. The GRA post described the recruitment notice as “phishing” and urged the public to disregard it.
“Please be aware that the image below is a phishing page created by hackers. Do not interact with it. For credible information, always follow our official page. Stay vigilant and protect your personal information!”, the GRA post stated.
A scam
Based on research by FactCheck Gambia, this call “The Gambia Revenue Authority 2024/2025 Recruitment” is FAKE and a SCAM targeting Gambian WhatsApp users.
