Victims of an employment scam

Unemployment is a terrible thing, but unfortunately it is an everyday normality nowadays.

With that said greedy, heartless, scam artists see this as an opportunity to make money off people desperate for work.

Most of the time you are the breadwinner; while your younger brother, sister or even cousin has a matric certificate clutched in their hands tirelessly job hunting.

An employment scam was brought to the attention of both local police and the Estcourt News by a Wembezi resident, Wanqa Makuyi.

The master mind behind allegedly swindling innocent people is still out there piling up victims since before 2009.

At midday on Tuesday, March 22 Mrs Makuyi who is employed at Estcourt Provincial Hospital received a call.

The voice on the other end sounded like that of an African man in his mid-40s or early 50s who addressed Mrs Makuyi very professionally.

After a brief introduction he asked if he could speak to someone and was told the person does not work there.

“He sounded disappointed that no one by that name worked with us, and proceeded to ask if I knew of anyone in need of a job,” said Mrs Makuyi.

According to other victims who have been swindled by this scam, this was exactly how he hooks you – by calling government departments asking to speak to someone who does not exist then offers your friend or family member a job.

At the time Mrs Makuyi did not think this ‘professional’ sounding man could be scheming something.

Mrs Makuyi could not help but think of her husband’s cousin, 28-year-old Noluthando Khanyile desperately looking for employment and gave the man Noluthando’s contact details.

Without wasting any time, minutes later the man called Noluthando assuring her a job as a prison warden. All he required was a down payment of R1 500. You must be wondering where an unemployed individual would get that kind of money from…

She had to make a plan so she called her uncle, Mr Makuyi to assist her.He questioned why she suddenly needed money on such short notice.

“I need it to secure myself a job as a warden,” she said hopefully.

He was left shocked by her response. He immediately knew what was happening and refused for his cousin to fall victim to the scam.

Mr Makuyi got in contact with the man and told him he would arrange the money. The voice was the same as a man who called him earlier this year offering him a tender.

“I am glad and fortunate that I was a step ahead of this man and was not hooked by his scam,” said Mr Makuyi.

He attempted to expose the syndicate behind the fraudulent employment scheme with the help of the police.
He asked Noluthando to assist. The man, who allegedly uses a different cell phone number each time, sent Noluthando a SMS asking for shoe and clothing sizes to have a uniform ready in an attempt to make his scam seem legit.

Noluthando who was now aware; played along and sent the man a message with everything he needed to know to get her the job.

After a number of calls were made between Noluthando and the man, something about it just didn’t seem right and the man no longer wanted to meet Noluthando to accept the money in person.

He kept insisting that she deposit the money as he can no longer meet with her.

He told her that after depositing the money into the account number provided, she should go to the local Correctional Services office in Victoria Street with her Curriculum Vitae (CV) and ask to speak to Mr Khumalo.

A Mr Khumalo, who of course doesn’t work there. He also requested that she write down five questions and the answers to them.

If Noluthando had made the deposit; it would have been at that moment at the Correctional Services office where she would have realised what was going on and it would have been too late.

Employees at the Correctional Services office say over the months, a number of people have come with their CV’s wanting a job they have been promised, but no vacancies have been advertised.

This ‘scammer’ either followed Noluthando or grew suspicious along the way. Residents like Mr Makuyi and others who have fallen victim to scams are working with police to bring the alleged scam artist to book.

If you receive a call of this nature you are urged to contact your local police station immediately. Although Mr Makuyi’s attempt to trap the man failed, this proves that these scams do happen.

Mr Makuyi would like to thank the local police and the Estcourt News who got involved in the set up on Tuesday afternoon and further would like to advise job seekers that no amount has to be paid to get a job.