The Ministry of Industry and Commerce wishes to advise members of the business community and the public in general that there is a scammer who has created a Facebook page named Ministry of Industry and Commerce – Zimbabwe and claims to have partnered with the African Development Bank, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Bank and IMF, to promote local investment and development by giving funds and operating capital to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’S) across the country.

The scammer/ impersonator is also circulating a Grant Application Form online appearing to have originated from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce requesting interested parties to provide their information such as copies of national identity cards and business registration documents.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce does not have any functional Facebook Account that it uses to communicate official information neither does it use any agent to communicate on its behalf. It has an X (formerly Twitter) handle @Min_of_IC as the only social media platform to engage with various stakeholders.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is therefore urging members of the public to disregard this unreliable and false information being circulated on social media and any other unofficial communication platforms. Members of the public should be on the lookout for scammers/impersonators and report such information to law enforcement agencies to avoid falling prey to criminals and losing their hard-earned resources.