Scam: Covid-19 support grant circulating on WhatsApp

Jo-Maré Duddy – The ministry of finance has warned the public against a message circulating on WhatsApp inviting people to apply for “Covid-19 Support Grant”, of which first time applicants would apparently receive payments within 24 hours after approval.
“This so-called Grant Fund which is purported to be legitimate, has no connection at all with the ministry of finance in Namibia,” the chief public relations officer of the ministry, Tonateni Shidhudhu.
According to him, the has become “a target of hoax, phishing scams and other fraudulent requests that are published on the internet or circulated on the social media and other channels of communication”.
“We would like to caution the public to be vigilant and not fall victims to these fraudulent requests,” Shidhudhu said in a statement.
Last year the ministry provided the Emergency Income Grant of N$750 to Namibians who lost incomes due to Covid-19.
“The grant was a once off payment which ended in September 2020. In addition, various facilities were introduced to support business development in general as well as those affected by Covid-19 through the Development Bank of Namibia and commercial banks,” he said.
Shidhudhu concluded: “We urge members of the public to evaluate and verify any suspicious requests and avoid providing their personal details as it might result in identity theft.”