Scam alert: Zambia's electoral commission is not hiring through dodgy link
"Want to Apply For Positions at ECZ? Here's How," starts a message sent to Africa Check via WhatsApp.
The message claims that the Electoral Commission of Zambia, or ECZ, has various positions available for the country's August 2026 elections. ECZ is the independent electoral management body for the southern African country.
Part of the message reads:
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The *Electoral Commission of Zambia*(_ECZ_) has opened an application portal to recruit new employees for the _*2025/2026 voter's registration exercise*_ to fill various temporary and permanent positions as part of preparations for the upcoming _*election. Applications are free and the hiring process has already begun.
It also includes an "important notice" stating that no application fees are required and telling readers to click on an attached link for "available positions".
The same message has also been circulating on Facebook.
Africa Check has previously debunked similar election-related job scams, so what's going on here?
We checked.
Phishing threat
We clicked the attached link and received a warning from our antivirus software about a potential threat.
The warning said the link would take us to a "dangerous website" that posed a phishing threat.
Phishing is a tactic used by scammers to trick users into handing over their personal information for fraudulent purposes.
The warning is a clear sign of a scam. If the message and the jobs were legit, the link would've directed us to the commission's official website.
'This notice is false'
On its verified Facebook page, ECZ posted a screenshot of the message with the word "FAKE" stamped across it.
"FAKE ONLINE RECRUITMENT," begins the commission's post.
"The Electoral Commission of Zambia has been alerted to a fake online recruitment notice currently circulating on social media. The Commission wishes to inform the public that this notice is false and should be disregarded."
The post continued to warn the public not to submit personal information or documents via unverified links.
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"Please be reminded that all job vacancies are advertised exclusively through the Commission's official platforms, including the website, ECZ Facebook, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn pages, as well as other reputable media outlets," the post said.
Tips for debunking election-related job scams
With several African countries holding elections in 2026, the circulation of such job scams on social media may increase. Here's what you should look out for.
- Start with obvious errors: Online job opportunities with many spelling and grammatical errors should not be trusted. Opportunities from legit electoral bodies are most likely to be free of these errors.
- Check out the attached link: Most job scams include links to sites where those interested can supposedly apply. If these links don't take you straight to the electoral body's verified website, be wary. Be extra cautious about posts that ask you to message an unverified number or a suspicious-looking page; scammers may try to trick you into sharing personal and banking information.
- Head to official social media pages: If you're still not sure, check the electoral body's official website or social media pages to confirm whether the job opportunity is legit.
