The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has issued an alert on a fraudulent recruitment scam involving the ongoing 2017/2018 recruitment exercise and has admonished all to ignore calls offering to put applicants names on a ‘protocol list’ at a fee.

A statement signed by Supt. Michael Amoako-Attah, Head of Public Affairs at the GIS, on Wednesday said the attention of the GIS had been drawn to the recruitment scam, where unscrupulous individuals pretending to represent the GIS, were calling applicants concerning the ongoing 2017/2018 GIS Recruitment Exercise to have their names placed in a fictitious ‘protocol lists’ at a fee.

“These individuals introduce themselves as staff of GIS, indicating that they have applicants’ documents in front of them, and that, they did not make it into the final list of those to be enlisted. In some cases, applicants are asked to pay an amount to undergo the third phase of the Recruitment Exercise – medical screening.

“After extending the fictitious offer of assisting them to gain enlistment into the Service, these individuals ask for payment ranging between GH¢3,000.00 and GH¢6,000.00,” the statement.

It said the GIS will not place a call to any applicant and will never ask applicants for any direct payments to be enlisted into the GIS and advised prospective applicants not to send money to any individuals.

“Moreover, the 2017/2018 GIS Recruitment Exercise is still in its second phase and qualified applicants, who successfully pass the Aptitude Test will be shortlisted and contacted via Short Message Services (SMS) and emails, as well as names posted on the GIS website: www.joingis.com,” it stated, adding “no individual or group of persons can help anybody since the process is as transparent as possible.”

The statement said applicants and the general public should be wary of fraudsters, who make such calls in the name of the Ghana Immigration Service, and that any applicant who paid money in relation to the ongoing 2017/2018 GIS Recruitment Exercise, did so at his or her own risk.

Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to uncover the faces behind these acts and to apprehend them for the necessary action to be taken.