Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr is appealing to Jamaicans to be on the alert for individuals using his image and the ministry’s logo on social media to solicit funds to participate in the overseas employment programme.

“There are several fraudsters that are using the image, voice, and likeness of myself and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to lure victims in and to get money from them to get them on the farm work programme. This is a scam; they cannot do it, and all they are doing is stealing your money,” Charles Jr said while speaking with journalists at the Jamaica Observer Press Club at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters on Thursday.

His warning comes weeks after the Ministry of Labour cautioned members of the public about the unauthorised and fraudulent use of video images of Charles Jr by the TikTok account using the handle @ramondlewis0.

READ: Labour ministry warns against fraudulent TikTok account using minister’s image

However, the minister said there are several other fraudulent pages on Instagram and TikTok that have been using his image to mislead Jamaicans into sending them money to participate in the farm work programme. He said two new fraudulent pages surfaced online this week.

“On Instagram and on TikTok, they have several pages where they have my image, they have me talking, and they have phone numbers put up. All of those are scams. Do not be fooled, do not be trapped, and do not transfer any money to them,” Charles Jr said.

He advised that the government does not require any money for individuals to participate in the farm work programme or any of its overseas employment programmes other than visa fees after the completion of interviews.

“Do not pay any money to get into the farm work programme. Nobody should be asking you for money to get into the programme. If they are asking you, it is a scam. The only money that you may have to pay is when you are talking about your fees, and that is after you have been accepted, after you have done your interview and all those things,” Charles Jr said.

The minister said he has been approached by individuals in public who have fallen victim to the scam.

“Somebody stopped me in the supermarket to say to me that they have sent $40,000. They want to know where that is going,” Charles Jr added.

He stressed that the only route to participate in the overseas employment programme is through the Government of Jamaica.