Cape Town - As if it did not have enough problems with load shedding, Eskom now has to deal with recruitment fraud, which is when scammers offer fake job opportunities.
The power utility posted a notice that cautioned job seekers against being conned by internet recruitment scammers who targeted people who sought work at its power stations.
Interim Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena said the latest scam was directed at the Medupi Power Station, where the scammers advertised jobs on the internet.
“Unsuspecting job seekers from all over the country would then apply and be lured to bogus interviews in Gauteng,” she said.
Mokoena said job seekers were advised to bring money for expenses, such as accommodation and transport, to the Medupi Power Station, in Lephalale.
“In some instances, the unsuspecting job seekers were required to deposit more money into a bank account for other expenses, such as personal protective equipment, or for a medical assessment following the interviews,” she said.
Mokoena said that after Eskom received several complaints from members of the public, it launched a joint operation with the police, which led to the arrest of three suspects – two women and a man accomplice.
They were charged and appeared at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng.
She said they would appear at the same court on August 16.
Mokoena advised job seekers to be aware that vacancies in the organisation were on its recruitment website at www.eskom.co.za, and cautioned against using any other links on the internet.
The news of the scam came as cyber crime experts, Kaspersky, reported that scams with human resources credentials had spread in recent months, with scammers taking advantage of summer holidays in Europe.
Kaspersky’s report said the Middle East, Turkey and Africa appeared to be particularly targeted.
The report says in part: “In particular in Q1 of 2023, South Africa saw a 7% increase in the number of phishing attacks.”