Members of the public have been urged not to be misled by a fake Facebook account under the name ‘Rakuita Mereseini”.

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa, said: “It is unfortunate that despite the economic hardships that individuals are facing during this time, there are still those who want to take advantage of the vulnerable through scams such as this,” she said.

Ms Vuniwaqa’s Facebook account goes by the name ‘Mereseini Rakuita’.

The fake account claimed it was offering a financial grant through an email address and a WhatsApp number from France.

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa’s post on Facebook warns the public on the fake account.

It also claimed that the grants were non-refundable and were the result of collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The fake account ‘Rakuita Mereseini’ also uses recent pictures of the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.

Ms Vuniwaqa had reported the account to Facebook for it to be deactivated.

She was alerted by a member of the public on Messenger enquiring about the assistance and if it was real.

Edited by Selita Bolanavanua

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