At least 21 people have been arrested in the current financial year for allegedly submitting fraudulent claims to the department of labour’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Compensation Fund (CF) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Potential losses to the department as a result of these crimes amounts to R2 million in the current financial year alone.
KwaZulu-Natal labour department spokesman Lungelo Mkamba said the suspects were arrested by the department’s Risk Management Unit in conjunction with the SAPS in separate cases across the province.
He said some of the matters are currently before court.
Said the department’s assistant director for risk management‚ Mlungisi Zondi: “The potential loss to the Department in the cases investigated this financial year is estimated to be around R2 million.”
Municipality officials arrested over farm lease fraudThree suspects from Emalahleni Municipality have been arrested for fraud and money laundering to the value of R1.6 million.
Zondi said in the most recent case last month‚ a woman made enquiries at the Prospection Labour Centre about the status of her UIF claim‚ unbeknown to her that it had it been flagged for possible fraud.
“Officials immediately contacted Risk Management officials who questioned the woman and she was unable to give the address of her supposed employer‚ her job title and duties. She eventually confessed and was arrested and charged‚” said Zondi.
In another case‚ a woman enquired about her UIF claim at the Pinetown Labour Centre but she was arrested when the company she claimed to have worked for had no record of her.
Zondi said the department has systems in place to flag and detect fraud while officials in the labour centres had been capacitated through awareness to detect possible fraud.
“The department urges the public to cease attempts to submit fraudulent claims‚ as they will be arrested and prosecuted‚” said Zondi.
The Department of Labour said it has Zero Tolerance for Fraud and Corruption and urges people who may have knowledge of fraudulent activities against the department to report it to 08600 22 194 or email fraud@labour.gov.za
-TMG Digitl
Labour department nabs 21 fraudsters‚ saving R2 million in losses
At least 21 people have been arrested in the current financial year for allegedly submitting fraudulent claims to the department of labour’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Compensation Fund (CF) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Potential losses to the department as a result of these crimes amounts to R2 million in the current financial year alone.
KwaZulu-Natal labour department spokesman Lungelo Mkamba said the suspects were arrested by the department’s Risk Management Unit in conjunction with the SAPS in separate cases across the province.
He said some of the matters are currently before court.
Said the department’s assistant director for risk management‚ Mlungisi Zondi: “The potential loss to the Department in the cases investigated this financial year is estimated to be around R2 million.”
Zondi said in the most recent case last month‚ a woman made enquiries at the Prospection Labour Centre about the status of her UIF claim‚ unbeknown to her that it had it been flagged for possible fraud.
“Officials immediately contacted Risk Management officials who questioned the woman and she was unable to give the address of her supposed employer‚ her job title and duties. She eventually confessed and was arrested and charged‚” said Zondi.
In another case‚ a woman enquired about her UIF claim at the Pinetown Labour Centre but she was arrested when the company she claimed to have worked for had no record of her.
Zondi said the department has systems in place to flag and detect fraud while officials in the labour centres had been capacitated through awareness to detect possible fraud.
“The department urges the public to cease attempts to submit fraudulent claims‚ as they will be arrested and prosecuted‚” said Zondi.
The Department of Labour said it has Zero Tolerance for Fraud and Corruption and urges people who may have knowledge of fraudulent activities against the department to report it to 08600 22 194 or email fraud@labour.gov.za
-TMG Digitl
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