Conmen pounce on jobseekers

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SEVERAL jobseekers have complained about losing money to conmen who request they pay in advance for processing work-related documents, only to later discover that it was a hoax.

SEVERAL jobseekers have complained about losing money to conmen who request they pay in advance for processing work-related documents, only to later discover that it was a hoax.

Ruth Ngwenya Own Correspondent

About 10 cases have so far been reported to the Victoria Falls police of jobseekers who are told to travel to the resort town by prospective employers they contact after seeing job adverts in newspapers and then discover that they have been tricked.

In an interview yesterday, Allen Magaya from Harare said he sent $405 to a group of three people who had promised him a construction job, only to later realise that he had lost his money to conmen, as there was no such vacancy in the resort town.

“My friend Jorum was given contacts by someone he met at his workplace that there was a new construction company in Victoria Falls looking for people to employ,” he said.

“I communicated with a man who claimed to be the manager of the company and he told me to send $100 to their bank account for them to secure a tender on my behalf and l did.”

Magaya added that the manager told him to travel to Victoria Falls where their offices were located. Upon arrival, Mayaga, who travelled with two friends identified as Jorum and Mahachi, contacted the manager who told them to send him $305 to process certain papers and wait for him at OK supermarket.

“After sending the money, we waited at OK, but the manager never showed up,” he said. “We tried his number, but it was ringing without answer. We then reported the issue to the police.”

In separate incidents, Trymore Mutemadzeka from Karoi and Morgan Chawuke from Gweru saw an advert in the Sunday Mail stating there was a vacancy for class two drivers in Victoria Falls.

“l took the phone numbers from the advert and a man who identified himself as Torima told me to come to Victoria Falls,” Mutemadzeka said.

“He suggested that l send him some money for him to pull strings. I sent $50 via EcoCash to a number which was registered in the name of a Nyasha Muzira.” When they arrived, they were made to wait in vain and ended up reporting the case to the police.