The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is aware of various schemes, being circulated via e-mails, from Internet web sites, and via regular mail or fax, falsely stating that they are issued by or associated with FAO.

These schemes may seek to extract money and in some cases personal details from the recipients of such correspondence. Such schemes are fraudulent.

The schemes consist of letters, sent either via e-mail, fax, regular mail, or from web sites, which appear as various proposals from people purporting to be officials of FAO. The correspondence and other documents, e-mails addresses and web sites may be made to look like they originate with FAO. For example, they may contain official-looking FAO stationery, including FAO emblem or name, or some variation thereof, and e-mail or web site addresses, including either or both of the words "FAO" or Food and Agriculture of the United Nations or some similar name, or the name of a real FAO entity or fictitious one.

The schemes, which have no connection whatsoever with FAO , take many forms. New schemes are appearing with increasing frequency. A sampling of such employment scams include:

Employment Scams

Offers of employment or vacancy announcements with requests for payment of fees. FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees) .

FAO does not concern itself with information on bank accounts. Any requests for such payment or information should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action and to FAO for its information.

For further information concerning these employment-related scams, including how to verify whether any "FAO" correspondence is genuine or fraudulent, please click on this link to FAO Employment website. There you will also find information on the FAO recruitment process and information security, and links to Frequently Asked Questions .

Other Scams include:

Entities such as:

• Then North American Workers Recruitment Programme claiming to be placed under the auspices of the World Food Programme and FAO;
• The Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) claiming to be placed under FAO but administratively autonomous and recruting staff on behalf of FAO.