Since mid-May 2021, a document attributed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been circulating on Cameroonian social media groups about the ongoing recruitment of 410 young unemployed graduates. According to the document, the ICRC launched the recruitment to reinforce its bureau in Ngaoundéré , the regional capital of the Adamaoua.

The document adorning the ICRC emblems claims that the recruitment is open to both males and females aged between 19 and 45. They must have good character, at least a BEPC (French equivalent for GCSE or O’level) with a very good knowledge of written and oral French. Also, the document orders applicants to submit their applications only to the email:  Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.;or WhatsApp:  696 28 44 77 by June 5, 2021.

The regional delegation of the ICRC in Yaoundé told SBBC that the document is a fake job ad. "The announcement was not issued by the ICRC. The ICRC does not request money to process applications," said  Isabelle Fontaine, deputy chief of the regional delegation, whereas the fake job ad asks applicants to pay XAF5,000 for application processing fees, which would not be so if the ad was genuinely published by the ICRC.

Furthermore, in a release published on May 31, 2021, Isabelle Fontaine also pointed out that the ICRC has regional delegations in Yaoundé, Douala, Kousseri, Maroua, Buea, and Bamenda, but not in Ngaoundéré. The ICRC also reminds users that its announcements are usually posted on its official Facebook page and the media.

When SBBC checked the ICRC’s Facebook page and website, it could not find any trace of the fake job ad. Another hint that proves the document is fake is the mail used. If the ad was legit, the email would be hosted by the ICRC and ended with @icrc.org. However, the fake job ad asks applicants to send applications to Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser..

The ICRC has been in Cameroon since 1992. It provides humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflicts. Based in Geneva (Switzerland), it employs 20,000 people in over 100 countries and is funded mainly through donations from governments and the national Red Cross and Red Crescent offices.

Patricia Ngo Ngouem