Don’t fall victim to employment scams

The SAPS, along with various other key roleplayers, have issued a warning to residents regarding employment scams at municipalities. “It has come to the attention of the authorities that several people have been duped into paying scammers for supposed employment at various government institutions, mainly focused on local municipalities. Please be advised that no money should be paid in order to be appointed to a company or institution,” the SAPS has warned. The scam is especilly rife in Mpumalanga, where a large number of individuals have already been duped into paying for employment opportunities that are advertised, or in some cases, do not exist at all.

The modus operandi of the scammers involve commenting on official social media posts from municipalities and institutions, claiming that they are employed of contracted by the human resources department of said companies. In some cases, fake social media accounts are also created, with scammers then claiming to be municipal officials. The scammer then proceeds to lure vulnerable and desperate job seekers to pay a fee, where the scammer claims to then provide employment from the institution in question.

However, no employment exists, and the victim is duped out of his or her hard earned money. The SAPS would like to reiterate that no company will charge a fee to interview or appoint new recruits. Residents are advised to follow the indicated application procedure as indicated by the institution in question, or to contact the human resources department directly via the institution’s website or official communication channels.