The Education, Skills and Employment Portfolio (ESE) has issued a warning about fraudulent Facebook posts advertising free online courses under the guise of the ‘Ministry of Education’ or in collaboration with universities. These posts utilize images of the St Helena crest, flag, and photos of members from both the Legislative and Executive Council, including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Interim Director of ESE, Marie Horton, confirmed that these posts are scams and have no affiliation with the portfolio or any other St Helena Government entity. Horton emphasized that the public should refrain from signing up for any courses advertised through these deceptive posts.
To facilitate the removal of these fraudulent posts, ESE advises reporting them directly to Facebook by following these steps:
1. Navigate to the post you wish to report.
2. Click on the three dots icon in the top right corner.
3. Select "Report post."
4. Choose the 'Scam, fraud or false information' option followed by 'Fraud or Scam.'
5. On the summary screen, click "Submit."
The public's cooperation is appreciated in addressing this issue.