The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has earlier this week issued a warning against “scams and fake news” which uses the name of the department. 

The warning comes with a screenshot of the apparent fakery which, at first glance, really does look like an official communique from a branch of the South African government. 

The crest / logo of the department and the relatively simple layout of the document is very close to what the DBE and other branches use regularly. 

Looking at the screenshot and it is advertising bogus positions within the DBE to mark exams for the 2022 class of Matrics. 

The document calls for, by name, unemployed youth to apply to the position with “the neediest candidates… prioritized”.

This is, of course, meant to pray on the high unemployment rate in South Africa and its devastating effects on the youth. 

It seems that the DBE has only shared the first page of the scam document and, on it, we see no direct way that a criminal could extract money or otherwise deceive applicants. 

It does, however, link to a website that we do not recommend visiting and whose URL we have removed from the shared screenshot. 

Either the scam would be played out on the second, unprovided page of the document, through this website or in person given the last paragraph of the post: 

“Applicants who wish to apply for the position of Examination Assistants for the 2022 marking session should conform to the above criteria. All appointments will be done at the Head Office to ensure equitable distribution of employment opportunities and to avoid biases,” it reads.