Is WHO Offering Home-Based Jobs During COVID-19 Pandemic?

A Facebook page shared the job advert below on July 29 claiming that the World Health Organization is offering home-based jobs to fight coronavirus. According to the ad, no experience is required and the pay is between $5 to $100 daily, for 2-3 hours of work each day using a mobile phone.

It includes a link to a web page where people are invited to apply. The application form asks users for their personal information and requires the post to be shared on WhatsApp with at least 14 other people and chat groups. The deadline is stated as July 31, 2020.

Background

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has currently affected over 16.9 million people globally, there have been numerous reports of job-hunting scams. This comes amidst the stress of job loses and people finding new ways to adjust financially due to the economic challenges that the pandemic has presented.

In Kenya, it is estimated that at least one million Kenyans have lost their jobs or have been put on indefinite unpaid leave thanks to the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the business climate index published by the Economic Policy Research Centre, 4.4 million people in Uganda could lose their jobs should the pandemic until the end of the year.

Verification

On June 12, the WHO in Uganda dismissed the job ad as “FAKE” on its official Facebook page, asking the public to disregard it. It also made it clear that all WHO jobs are advertised on the official WHO website.

Also, note that the word ‘Organization’ in WHO’s name is written with a ‘z’ and not an ‘s’ as in the job advert shared online.

On its cyber-security page, WHO cautions the public about hackers and cyber scammers taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to send fraudulent emails and WhatsApp messages in attempts to trick people into clicking on malicious links or opening attachments; actions that can reveal user names and passwords, which can be used to steal money or sensitive information.

Verdict

The WHO dismissed claims of home-based COVID-19 job advert circulating online, making the claim, FALSE.