Information Minister Warns of Fake Facebook Pages Operated by Fraudsters
Mohamed Aruna Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has issued a warning to the public about fraudulent Facebook pages spreading misinformation and soliciting money.
Minister Bah urged citizens to be cautious of fake accounts impersonating government officials, particularly the Ministry of Finance. He highlighted a recent press release by the actual Ministry of Finance addressing a fake Facebook page claiming to offer grants on the ministry’s behalf.
“Fraudsters are creating fake Facebook posts and pages claiming the Minister of Finance is offering grants,” Minister Bah revealed. “The Ministry of Finance does not use Facebook for official announcements.”
He emphasized that the real Minister of Finance, “does not even have a Facebook account. If you see a Facebook page with the name and image of the Minister, it is fake.”
Minister Bah designated the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s Facebook page as the sole source of verified government press releases. He appealed to Sierra Leoneans to fight the spread of fake news and condemned those creating such pages to exploit citizens.