The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has become aware of false communications purporting to be issued by or associated with FAO and/or its officials. This has included persons pretending to be FAO officials to fraudulently obtain payments from hotels and other service providers, saying they are making arrangements for conference services.

The correspondence and documents, e-mail addresses and websites used for scams of this nature are made to look like they originate from FAO. For example, they may contain official-looking FAO stationery, including FAO’s logo, emblem or name, and e-mail or Web site addresses which include the words “Food and Agriculture” or "FAO" or some similar name, or the name of a real or fictitious FAO official. These are frauds and FAO assumes no responsibility for any consequences, including but not limited to, financial loss and identity theft or other loss or damage, that may derive from such scams.

PLEASE NOTE:

• FAO never charges registration fees for conferences or meetings, nor seeks payments for conference reservations or for other services.
• FAO never charges a fee or asks for payments at any stage of its procurement process (supplier registration, bids submission or other fee).
• FAO never charges a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training, visa or other fee).
• FAO does not conduct lotteries, or offer prizes or awards through e-mail.

Please report any suspicious communication to [email protected] and to the local authorities.

For further information, please see:

FAO’s  Policy Against Fraud and other Corrupt Practices here: http://www.fao.org/aud/43301-0e63753e918fd9395cfa276ffbd275f03.pdf

FAO’s Whistleblower Protection Policy here: http://www.fao.org/aud/48699-03f867c68c965c8bbad27e7d5f7512e43.pdf