Overstrand Municipality has cautioned the public to be aware of fraudulent job advertisements posted on social media.
These messages state that the posts are for “Afrikaans-speaking citizens only”, that jobseekers are required to have a Grade 7-12 qualification, no working experience is necessary and applicants can apply via WhatsApp.
“This is fake news,” warned Overstrand Municipal Manager Dean O’Neill. “Recruitment for employment in the Overstrand Municipality is done through advertisement and internal HR processes.”
He pointed out that permanent, temporary and fixed-term position vacancies within the municipality are strictly advertised on the Overstrand Municipality’s website (www.overstrand.gov.za/looking-for-a-job/) or in the newspaper.
Any adverts of vacancies will carry the Overstrand Municipality logo; email addresses are formatted as ...@overstrand.gov.za and all official office telephone numbers start with 028 (and not a cellphone or WhatsApp number).
“The municipality strongly advises residents not to respond to unsolicited offers of employment,” O’Neill said.
“Please report these people to the administrators of the Facebook Page or your nearest police station. An affidavit should include a clear statement that the victim requires the matter to be investigated. Victims of a scam should ask for the matter to be referred to the cybercrime division. They should also note the reference number (CAS) and details of the duty detective and follow-up regularly.”