According to the municipal spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, this is not the first time fraudsters use the metro's name to illegally solicit money from desperate job seekers, as earlier a man by the name of ‘Mr. Matenchi’, who has allegedly been posing as the metro's human resource coordinator, demanded that job seekers pay R4000 for jobs at the metro.  

Khedama says since the metro warned residents of the scam involving ‘Mr. Matenchi’, messages from him specifically have since stopped doing the rounds. The scam, however, continues to manifest itself in various forms and in each form it takes, vulnerable people, lose their money. 

He further urges anyone who comes across the scam or is contacted by any of the involved individuals to approach the metro with this information or contact their nearest police station.

"Residents are cautioned to avoid sending money to any person or company purporting to be a recruitment agency on behalf of Mangaung Metro. Be wary of anyone requesting money in exchange for securing employment. Recruitment for employment in the city is done through advertisement and internal HR processes," Khedama added. 

Members of the public are also warned not to respond to this type of communication but instead report it to the nearest police station for the police to investigate. “We are also warning members of the community to be cautious of texts or calls that solicit money for jobs,” he concluded.

OFM News