Job Scam

WARNING: These are REAL incidents that have happened to people. We choose to place you as the main character so as to show you how easy it is to fall prey to such circumstances.

Remember ROLES CHANGE, SKILLS EVOLVE but SCRIPT remains SAME. So IGNORANCE of the probability of such occurrences ever happening to you is entirely at your own DISCRETION.

Let’s face it, most of us holding steady jobs today can bear me witness how frustrating it was to acquire it in the 1^st place (unless you are from a multi-millionaire blood generation). The hundreds of CV applications that got sent and no reply from a single one of them, the futile door-to-door vacancy inquiries and the embarrassing interview sessions that left one drained of self esteem and utter self loathe.

In short, being unemployed is the most awful experience on the planet more-so if you do not have any back-up income sources.

The above scenario may result in desperate attempts to make ends meet at any cost. These acts of desperation are what fraudsters rely on to make you their next target.

Take the below scenario for instance;

You have been a graduate for the last two (2) years and the countless numbers of times you have sent your CV to potential employers and received no feedback has finally taken a toll on you and you decide that enough is enough.

Just as you are getting ready to mix that concoction of rat poison (God forbid). A thought springs into your mind that you should check your inbox one last time so as to justify the action you are about to take.

You log into your email account and there sit three (3) unread messages. Your eyes are immediately drawn into one that reads, ‘’Congratulations’’. You quickly click to view it and voila! Your eyes light up as you scan its contents

“Congratulations! we are pleased to tell you that you have been shortlisted for an interview on date 12/03/2013 at Bendeck Offices. Please be punctual and bring all the relevant documents. Thank you!”

Two (2) days to the actual interview date, you receive another email from the same company stating;

“Due to the recently enacted law regarding employer-employee relations, all employers are hereby required to provide medical cover for all their employees.

So to this effect, we kindly ask you to send kshs1000 ($12) to account number 123 456 789 by 11/03/2013 in-order to cater for processing fee of your cover. We will send you a confirmation code once we receive the payment and it shall be used as proof of your payment.

Those who will NOT have sent the amount by 11/03/2013 will lead to automatic disqualification.

We will provide free transport to our offices from the City centre. The bus will pick you up at the bus station at 1.00pm on 13/03/2013. Please be punctual!

NOTE: Please bring your relevant documents and the printed e-mail confirmation code as proof of payment. See you at the interview.”

On the D-day, you are punctual at the bus station and you meet other applicants as well. The clocks strikes 1.00pm and still no bus in sight. One hour later, the crowd of applicants begins to get restless and the situation gets worse as the clock strikes 2.30pm.

Frantic calls are made but it does nothing to better the situation when it clearly dawns on all of you that you have all been CONNED!