The South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued a warning to the public after fake job adverts claiming to be from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) began circulating on TikTok and other social media platforms.

According to SAPS, the scam directs people to a website that falsely presents itself as an IEC e-recruitment portal. The link does not belong to the IEC, and job seekers are urged not to share personal information or continue with any application process promoted through these posts.

SAPS said scammers often target unemployed individuals, especially during the festive season, by advertising fabricated vacancies linked to well-known institutions.

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The public is reminded that legitimate IEC job opportunities are posted only on the official IEC website.

The police highlighted several ways for the public to identify suspicious job adverts:

* Check that the logo on the advert matches the official IEC branding
* The IEC does not charge any recruitment or application fees
* Verify that any email address ends with @elections.org.za
* Confirm the job reference number on the official IEC website
* The IEC does not recruit through WhatsApp groups, unsolicited messages or social media adverts

SAPS urged communities to stay alert and to report fraudulent online activity. Officials encouraged residents to share the warning with friends and family to prevent others from falling victim to the scam.