THE Ministry of Finance has cautioned members of the public that there are unscrupulous individuals who are offering fake employment opportunities purporting to be from the Treasury.

The ministry raised an alarm over a rapidly expanding racket where people who have in one time or another applied for jobs at the Treasury are issued with fake appointment letters.

It has not been identified how the culprits are doing it but they have the ministry's letter head but some of the letters posted to the expectant employees have wrong addresses. In normal appointments, someone recruited for a position is given the date they assume office and the place to report.

Surprisingly the fake appointment letters do not contain the actual reporting dates. For instance, in one case where a person has been appointed to the post of accountant 2, the letter says the appointment is on probatory terms of service with effect from the date the person assumes duty.

In the letter dated October 19 and purportedly written by W.N Kingathia for the permanent secretary, an appointee by the name Chrispus Wanjau Kiiru has been advised that his appointment will be processed as soon as he reports for duty.

"If this offer appointment is acceptable to you, please signify your acceptance in writing and then report to this office for further instructions on November 5," the letter reads in part. The letter has been written through the district accountant, district treasury, Meru South district. One of the letters was allegedly sent through the email address simote92@yahoo.com.

Treasury officials are now investigating the matter and have cautioned the public to be careful adding that all government recruitments are done by the Public Service Commission and not individual ministries.

"We have received information that there are persons offering appointment letters to members of the public purporting to have been issued by this ministry," an internal memo by Treasury's accountant general M.M Gatimu reads in part.

The memo to the ministry's human resource department has asked that the matte be investigated. "Please take up this matter as it may be used to to con the unsuspecting members of the public," Gatimu says.