The City of Cape Town is warning residents about a scam that asks people to deposit money into a bank account before they can get application forms for jobs at the City.
Anyone who wants to apply for a vacancy at the City of Cape Town can do so for free, the City said in a statement.
“The City would never charge a fee for providing applicants with application forms. Heartless criminals use advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to deceive unsuspecting and desperate job seekers.
“These fake advertisements urge job seekers to deposit money into a bank account in exchange for application forms for vacancies at the
City of Cape Town. I’m warning residents of these scams and want to urge them not to fall for these tricks,” said the City’s Mayoral committee member for corporate services, Sharon Cottle.
The advertisements usually appear on Facebook, or are sent to residents via WhatsApp.
“The City recently dealt with a case where two residents received a WhatsApp message advising them of so-called vacancies for cleaners at the City, and that the application form would be made available once they’ve paid R350. Luckily none of the residents fell prey to this scam. Still, any job seeker should note that the City doesn’t charge for application forms for vacancies at the City,” said Ms Cottle.
The City said the South African Police Service is investigating these cases.
“I urge those who receive similar messages to please report it to the SAPS and to warn other job seekers,” said Ms Cottle.
