PRETORIA – Police detectives based in Joburg central have arrested eight suspects for fraud, after several people complained they had been conned in a jobs scam.
Johannesburg Central police station spokesperson, Captain Xoli Mbele said the victims had allegedly paid money upon promises of getting work.
“Detectives arrested eight suspects between the ages of 21 and 25 for fraud at Alpa House [situated at the] corner of Commissioner and Von Weilligh street [in Johannesburg CBD] on Wednesday the 10th of June 2020 at 10am,” said Mbele.
“It is alleged that suspects defrauded several numbers of people, promising jobs. Victims paid an amount of R450 each to get employed. They were promised office work and cleaning jobs.”
Mbele said investigations were continuing and the suspects would appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court "soon".
“We are appealing to the community to refrain from paying out money to get jobs,” said Mbele.
Last year, the SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal warned residents of people posing as correctional services officials who were running a prison jobs scam.
In a statement, a KZN SAPS spokesperson, captain Nqobile Gwala, said: “If you are approached with a job offer, verify with the department concerned that such a person is indeed employed with that department and that they have a mandate to secure employment.
"All government departments have a recruitment policy and procedures in place."
Gwala said a reputable business as well as government departments do not require payment upfront from those applying for jobs.
If such a requirement was made, applicants should see it as a warning sign that the job offer was a hoax.
She said jobs cannot be bought, adding those offering the jobs and those paying for them could be charged.
"Estcourt police are investigating several cases of theft where people have been ‘scammed’ out of their hard earned cash."
"Members of the community are being told that there are posts available at the Department of Correctional Services. They are being made to pay a fee to suspects who are pretending to be representatives of the department," Gwala said at the time.