Police warn of jobs scam involving bogus cops

SAPS has issued a warning about a jobs scam involving men pretending to be police officers.

Police management warned members of the public applying for entry-level employment posts in the police service to exercise vigilance against bogus police officers who are out to rob unsuspecting people of their money.

Police in Tabankulu in the Eastern Cape received a complaint from a member of the public on Saturday. The citizen claimed to have received a call from a bogus police officer.

According to the complainant, the bogus captain demanded R2,500 from both the parents and unemployed prospective police trainee in exchange for employment in the police service.

"It is believed some victims of this scam have already paid this money through transfers in  local shopping centres," said police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana.

Kinana said police were investigating.

He said the police service recently issued an advertisement for entry-level posts.

"The SAPS’s official advertisement does not provide for any payment of money by an applicant, nor does it reflect any name of a person or  police officer to be responsible for the collection of money or anything in exchange for employment in the police service.

"Both nationally and provincially, the SAPS does not have a policy, instruction or circular regulating the collection of monies for this particular purpose," Kinana said.

He said applicants and parents must refuse to be subjected to this kind of scam, and must report the matter immediately to the nearest police station.