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Scammers are now taking advantage of desperate job seekers trying to be recruited as police officers.
In the latest scam, the police have noticed that during the first and the last phases of recruitment, criminals have thought up new ways of sourcing money from job seekers.
A provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said the Mpumalanga SAPS management want potential job seekers to know that the recruitment and employment of new intakes into the police is done during an open, transparent and fair procedure, at no cost.
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“Applicants are not expected to pay money to obtain application forms. After applicants submitted their forms, there are several stages they need to go through and complete before the most competent ones proceed to the last stage, thereby qualifying to make it to the police academy.
Job seekers are warned not to fall into this trap. At no stage will the SAPS request applicants to pay money or request other favours in exchange for employment. Once a person tells you about shortcuts to the final stage of the selection process, be sure that the person will ensure you lose your money and enrich a conman,” explained Mdhluli.
He said that to ensure the process is fair, it is comprised of various phases run by different offices and officers from station to national level. During the process, it is impossible for one member of the service to play a role across all categories.
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“We want the public to understand this so they do not fall prey to criminals. People should not allow their hard-earned cash to be given away to these perpetrators. No one should even consider taking a loan just to pay for something that they are entitled to, free of charge. People should further refrain from paying for any jobs, and report those who are making these vulnerable job seekers cash cows. It is just a matter of time before these scammers are brought to book.”
Members of the public are urged to call the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111 or send information via the My SAPS app if they come across any of these scammers.
