Musina Municipality has issued a strong warning to unsuspecting members of the community who are lured to pay money into a personal bank account to secure jobs at the municipality.
This comes after five community members pitched up at the municipal offices last Friday to seek answers after they could no longer trace the scammer, who disappeared with their cash.
The man, who uses different names and contact numbers, calls unsuspecting victims and demands R2 500 from each of them, pretending that he will secure them jobs as drivers in the different units of the municipality.
Municipal spokesperson Wilson Dzebu said community members should open their eyes and report any suspicious activity to the police. "We have said on several occasions that job opportunities are not exchangeable for cash. At no stage will the municipality use a private person to secure workers. We advertise job opportunities on various public platforms and community members are not required to pay anything to apply for these vacancies."
Dzebu said the municipality did not have a relationship with the scammer and added that they had advised the local police about the scam. "We encouraged those who have been scammed to lay charges with the police for investigations. It will be easier to trace the suspect if the victims come forward and give full information to the police."
Dzebu indicated that this was the second scam to surface in a period of two weeks in Musina. "A week ago, we received information that people had paid money to a person who had promised them work at Messina Hospital. We engaged with the hospital management and they confirmed that scammed people had visited the hospital to look for the scammer. He was nowhere to be found and had vanished with their money. We have confidence in our police and believe that they will catch him, so that he can face the full might of the law."