Local water board Bloemwater says suspected fraudsters are believed to be using its name to dupe unsuspecting job seekers with offers of employment claiming they represent the organisation.
Those who fall for the scam are said to have lost thousands of rands to the alleged criminals.
“It is alleged that the fraudster(s) claim to be representing Bloemwater with a list of vacancies that are available,” Bloemwater said in a statement on Wednesday.
“They proclaim that for a person to secure employment . . . they have to pay a guarantee fee of R3 000,” the statement added.
Bloemwater urged the public not to be caught up in the job scam trap as there are no jobs advertised by the water board currently.
“At all times, Bloemwater advertises vacancies in a professional manner and at no cost through conventional media platforms such as (our)website, local and provincial newspapers.
“Bloemwater will not solicit money from job seekers to secure employment and will not hesitate to report perpetrators of these heinous acts to the South African Police Service,” it pointed out.
It’s not clear how many people could have fallen for the trick.
The company urged the public to report any suspected criminal activities through its hotline, 080 202 8882, for anonymous reporting, or call the office on 051 403 0800, as well as the nearest police station. – Staff Reporter