Jennifer, a 34-year-old single mother of two boys and one girl, resides in Kwathema outside of Springs. She previously worked for a laundry services company based in Springs but unfortunately was retrenched during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

 Since the lockdown, Jennifer has faced numerous challenges in finding employment. In 2023, she fell victim to an employment scam. On Monday, the 7th of March, she received an email inviting her for an interview at a Mineral Processing Plant in Brakpan on the 9th of March. The email requested a payment of R400 for qualification verification or R600 for expedited police clearance. Without realizing the scam, Jennifer paid R1000 from her children’s support grant.

 On the day of the interview, Jennifer arrived early, only to discover that there was no scheduled interview. The receptionist was unaware of any interviews, and the HR Manager confirmed that there were no cleaner vacancies available. Jennifer was devastated to realize she had been scammed. 

Let Jennifer’s story serve as a cautionary event. Please, do not fall victim to scams. Stay vigilant and protect yourself from fraudulent schemes.