The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has warned prospective enumerators and other individual who have applied to participate in this year’s population and housing census to be wary of criminals and internet fraudsters who are luring people to pay some monies for recruitment.
THE CUSTODIAN has learnt that some fraudsters are using the internet to charge the applicants an amount ranging between GHS1, 500 to 2,500 for the various job opportunities.
The Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim has described the development as an unfortunate situation and attributed it to ignorance on the side of the applicants.
He said evidence available to the Ghana Statistical Service has confirmed the dubious activities of criminals in recent weeks.
However, in an interaction with the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, Professor Annim assured the GSS has installed solid technology to conduct the first ever digital Population and Housing Census in Ghana.
“For the first time we are doing digital census and we have infused all our operations with technology, and specifically, we are recruiting our enumerators using an online system and in recent times, there is evidence informing us that some scammers, some fraudsters are luring prospective applicants some monies ranging between GHS1, 500 to 2,500”
Professor Samuel Kobina Annim therefore entreated the Ghana Police Service and other state security agencies to collaborate with the Ghana Statistical Service to clamp down on such individuals.
“So from two perspectives, i.e publicity, sensitization and also with the help of the security agencies, we believe strongly that we can clamp down this incidence of people being deceived into paying ahead of their engagement into the census activities” he added.
