Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Business Development, today launched an alert to denounce an online fraud scheme, through a false announcement of financial support to small and medium-sized companies (SMEs).
“An advertisement posted on Facebook stating that the Ministry of Finance and Business Development, in partnership with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, is providing financial assistance/subsidies to farmers, entrepreneurs and SMEs to help them recover from the current global economic crisis”, warns the Government.
It further reads that interested individuals and business entities who wish to be considered for this “crucial funding program” are invited to learn more and submit their application via a link that has been made available in the same publication.
Fraudulent scheme that charges registration fee and still retains personal data
The Ministry of Finance and Development clarified today, however, that this information is false, stating that it is a scheme that charges a registration fee and still retains personal data.
“The Ministry of Finance and Business Promotion takes the opportunity to alert people to be aware of actions of this type on the network, and should always seek to confirm the origin of the shared message”, he said.
The ministry also informed that any support that is attributed to national entrepreneurs follows a criterion and procedures with the competent entity in the matter, namely Pró Empresa and, in the case of support that is attributed under the Economic Recovery Plan, the procedure is carried out with commercial banks.
recurrent cases
This is not the first time that the Ministry of Finance and Business Development has come to denounce such practices, in October 2022 it reported that, after becoming aware that a false advertisement was circulating about supporting Cape Verdean entrepreneurs and SMEs on social networks, immediately called the judicial authorities.
“We inform you that the fake page that had been using the name and image of this institution in an improper and abusive way, has been removed from the air”, he said at the time.
“Well, I was immediately suspicious because at the end of the contest they ask to communicate with a person in Kenya and ask for a certification document where you have to send 28,000 Cape Verdean escudos”, also commented at the time an internet user.
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