IN SHORT: Claims that jobseekers can apply for a learnership position as "unemployed learner visual merchandisers" at Coca-Cola are scams. Jobseekers are urged to stick to verified websites and social media platforms for opportunities at the beverage company.
The Coca-Cola Company is offering learnership opportunities for positions as "unemployed learner visual merchandisers".
Well, that's according to a Facebook post doing the rounds in South Africa.
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The post claims that for jobseekers to apply for the 12-month learnership, they must meet these requirements:
- Grade 12 with Maths/Maths Literacy & English (min 40%)
- South African citizen, aged 18-35
- Unemployed and not enrolled in any full-time studies or learnership
- No criminal or adverse credit record
- Driver's license advantageous
"Link is in the comment section," the post adds.
Similar posts have been uploaded to the platform here, here and here. (Note: See more examples of these claims at the end of this report.)
Some of these posts include links where social media users can supposedly apply for the learnership at Coca-Cola, while others ask users to follow a WhatsApp channel for updates.
So are these opportunities for a learnership programme at Coca-Cola legit?
We checked.
Stick to Coca-Cola's official systems for job opportunities
There are several signs that the posts are a scam.
First, they offer very little information about the learnership. A big company like Coca-Cola would give full information (as seen here, for example) about all their opportunities.
The posts are also not uploaded by Coca-Cola's verified social media accounts, and the attached links don't take users to their verified website either, a big red flag.
Rather, the links take users to a simple-looking, unverified website with nowhere to actually apply for the job. Scammers do this to drive traffic to their website to earn revenue per site visit.
Some of the posts ask social media users to follow their channel. This is a tactic used by scammers to gain followers or even phish for personal information over WhatsApp.
Coca-Cola has also previously warned jobseekers that there has been an abundance of job scams falsely claiming to represent the Coca-Cola Company.
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"These scams may include fake job postings, interview invitations, or requests for payment related to application or onboarding costs."
Coca-Cola verifies that legitimate recruiting is not through private portals, external scheduling tools or third-party websites.
The beverage company warns users to stick to Coca-Cola's official systems for job opportunities.
Tips to avoid scams in the name of well-known companies
Scammers often use the names of big companies like Coca-Cola for job opportunities to drive traffic to their website. Here are some tips to stay safe online.
- Avoid dodgy-looking links: Avoid clicking on links that look unusual or are not linked to the company's official website.
- Don't hand over personal information: Never share your identity number, banking details or copies of personal documents through random websites, emails or WhatsApp messages.
- Verify with official sources: Always check the company's official careers page or verified social media accounts to make sure a job advert is legitimate.
This fake job advert was also posted here, here, here, here, here and here.
