EVANDER – The local police are warning residents to be aware of fake job offers.
Sgt Sibusiso Mbuli, spokesman for Evander Police Station, said a scam is doing the rounds.
It appears the conmen advertise a fake job online, in print or sometimes after picking up someone’s resume online and send an unsolicited SMS to that person.
After an unsuspected person applies for the fake job, they are informed that they have been hired.
The suspects then write out a cheque or send an e-transfer to the victim who is told to deposit that money into his or her personal bank account.
The con artists then instruct the victim to “test” the transfer system at a particular bank by wiring that money to a different account.
In some cases, the victim is instructed to buy pre-paid gift cards with the transferred money and then send it to the suspect.
The victim, after making this payment, only then discovers that the cheque or e-transfer was fake and the victim must fit the bill for the difference.
Some of the victims now have overdrawn or frozen accounts.
“You should never send money to someone who you do not know or do not completely trust,” said Sgt Mbuli.
He urged people who were victims of this scam, to report it to the police.
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/78206/how-to-determine-job-scams/
