South Africans seeking international jobs have been warned to tread carefully because of the rise of human trafficking scams.
The department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco) issued the warning following two recent cases of desperate job-seeking citizens who found themselves trapped in foreign countries after being promised jobs.
Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said people should verify with the department when they have been offered overseas jobs. He said in some cases, people received offers through private emails or social media platforms.
Monyela said these job scams often come with paid-off expenses, like travel expenses and accommodations.
“They go as far as offering to pay for everything to get to you. They pay for your ticket, for your accommodation or stay when you get to that side and when you do get that side, you find out it was a scam or a lure,” added Monyela.
He said there was a case of a young woman from Limpopo who fell victim to the scam.
“She was told that she would be an English teacher in Thailand; and [there's] another case of a young male who is stuck in Cambodia. He went to Thailand in November 2022 to be a data capturer only to find they were being employed to scam people. The man is from Theunissen, Free State,” said Monyela.
He said most people are left stranded afterwards and have no idea how to get back home. He cautioned citizens to call the department before making their final decisions.
“We have embassies all over the world, so we can contact these offices and ask whether these jobs really exist or if it’s another scam. There is a lot of human trafficking that is going on and modern slavery is becoming a thing today and we really want to keep our citizens safe,” Monyela said.
He said the Consular Services Team has been alerted to attend to the two cases.
Monyela said although the department doesn’t get day-to-day cases, they are still aware of how frequent job scams have become vivid in the country and outside.
“This happens frequently, and it is important for people to be aware of it and we want to show that it is prevalent and a serious issue. It has happened too many times that it’s beginning to worry us,” said Monyela.
“Most categories of job scams are often teaching [and] hospitality, and they use these to attract people who are desperate and sometimes they offer them jobs in health [sector] or even in the traveling industry as well as in IT (Information Technology), but it’s not limited to these categories only, it varies,” he said.
SA warns job-seekers against international human trafficking scams
Two South Africans stuck in Cambodia, Thailand
Image: 123RF
South Africans seeking international jobs have been warned to tread carefully because of the rise of human trafficking scams.
The department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco) issued the warning following two recent cases of desperate job-seeking citizens who found themselves trapped in foreign countries after being promised jobs.
Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said people should verify with the department when they have been offered overseas jobs. He said in some cases, people received offers through private emails or social media platforms.
Monyela said these job scams often come with paid-off expenses, like travel expenses and accommodations.
“They go as far as offering to pay for everything to get to you. They pay for your ticket, for your accommodation or stay when you get to that side and when you do get that side, you find out it was a scam or a lure,” added Monyela.
He said there was a case of a young woman from Limpopo who fell victim to the scam.
“She was told that she would be an English teacher in Thailand; and [there's] another case of a young male who is stuck in Cambodia. He went to Thailand in November 2022 to be a data capturer only to find they were being employed to scam people. The man is from Theunissen, Free State,” said Monyela.
He said most people are left stranded afterwards and have no idea how to get back home. He cautioned citizens to call the department before making their final decisions.
“We have embassies all over the world, so we can contact these offices and ask whether these jobs really exist or if it’s another scam. There is a lot of human trafficking that is going on and modern slavery is becoming a thing today and we really want to keep our citizens safe,” Monyela said.
He said the Consular Services Team has been alerted to attend to the two cases.
Monyela said although the department doesn’t get day-to-day cases, they are still aware of how frequent job scams have become vivid in the country and outside.
“This happens frequently, and it is important for people to be aware of it and we want to show that it is prevalent and a serious issue. It has happened too many times that it’s beginning to worry us,” said Monyela.
“Most categories of job scams are often teaching [and] hospitality, and they use these to attract people who are desperate and sometimes they offer them jobs in health [sector] or even in the traveling industry as well as in IT (Information Technology), but it’s not limited to these categories only, it varies,” he said.
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