A steady rise in scams involving individuals falsely posing as municipal officials or representatives has become increasingly noticeable since the Covid-19 lockdown period.

According to Mogale City Local Municipality’s (MCLM) senior communications practitioner, Tendani Shavani, the scams escalated during the pandemic when many lost employment due to the economic impact of Covid-19 and national restrictions. Since then, the municipality has continued to observe an increase in scams targeting vulnerable job seekers with false promises of employment.

This comes as unemployment continues to place significant pressure on South African households, with the country’s official unemployment rate increasing from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026.

Also read: Municipality warns of new job scam

Tactics used by scammers

Shavani said scammers often contact job seekers through SMSes, phone calls, or WhatsApp messages, falsely inviting them to interviews or requesting payment for medical assessments, training, or administration fees.

She said investigations are ongoing to identify and expose those responsible for the scams. In the meantime, residents are urged to remain vigilant and keep the following in mind:

• The municipality will never request payments or banking details for employment opportunities
• No municipal official is permitted to request payment via phone call, SMS or WhatsApp
• The municipality does not charge fees for job applications, interviews, credit checks, medical assessments, or recruitment processes
• All legitimate vacancies are advertised through official municipal communication channels, including the municipal website, official social media platforms, and recognised national newspapers
• No municipal official, service provider, or contractor can bypass recruitment processes or guarantee employment opportunities

Residents urged to remain cautious

Residents are encouraged to ignore suspicious recruitment messages and verify employment opportunities through official municipal platforms.

Suspected cases involving municipal employees soliciting money for job opportunities can be reported confidentially via email to mzothando.makanjana@mogalecity.gov.za or in person at the Corporate Ethics Office, located at the President Building on President Street in the Krugersdorp CBD.