The Ministry of Education and Culture (M.E.C.) issued a warning regarding a fraudulent notice making the rounds on social media on Friday.

The misleading announcement, which falsely claims to be endorsed by the M.E.C., promotes a website named THE-FREEONLINECOURSES.XYZ.

The link takes you to the website which shows different options such as free online management courses, short online courses, free courses, online training courses, free online courses, and free online certification courses. 

The false notice was first brought to light by the Samoa Observer newspaper, which promptly alerted A'eau Chris Hazelman, the Chief Executive Officer of the M.E.C. 

A'eau quickly confirmed the notice's illegitimacy and reassured that it was a scam. He stated that the ministry was coordinating with its Information Technology team to issue an official communication to address the issue.

In their alert, the M.E.C. emphasised that the notice did not originate from their office and strongly advised the public to avoid interacting with the provided links or following any instructions in the fraudulent notice. 

They cautioned that engaging with such notices could potentially compromise device security, exposing users to hacking or malicious software.

The M.E.C. underscored the importance of public safety and urged anyone encountering this or similar fraudulent notices to disregard them immediately. 

"Your safety and security are our top priority. Stay informed and stay safe!" the ministry's statement concluded.