Human settlements warns of fake LinkedIn account claiming to be Mmamoloko Kubayi

The human settlements department has warned of a fake LinkedIn account purporting to belong to human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi.

The department said the account is allegedly used by scammers to take money from unsuspecting people, promising them funding opportunities.

“The fake account recently scammed a member of the public under a fake campaign titled 'European Business Fund', requesting a fee of R8,000 for registration and a further R6,000 after submitting a business plan.

“Kubayi has only one official LinkedIn account. Other accounts should be treated with suspicion and members of the public are encouraged to refrain from engaging with suspicious accounts and report or block them. Some of these fake social [media] accounts often spread scams, promote phoney products and share lies and misinformation.”

Another scam the department warned of is a request for quotations. 

“When [members of] the public come across suspicious activities, they must not fall into the trap of losing [money] and should report the accounts.”

Last week, the correctional services department warned the public not to fall for scammers posing as officials and demanding payment for placement in the department’s learnership programme.

This was after an official was arrested for allegedly selling learnership application forms.

Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the scam involves fraudsters calling last year’s unsuccessful candidates asking them to “pay money to secure a placement”.

“Never pay money in exchange for a learnership placement or employment. Instead, report such individuals to the police, as what they are doing is illegal.

“Their tactic is simple. They call either the previous applicant or a referee — armed with detailed personal information. They instruct you to travel near to a correctional facility and provide various means to transfer money. Never fall prey to these scammers,” Nxumalo said.

Only the department controls the recruitment process.

“There are no shortcuts and no agents employed by the department for recruitment. By paying them money you enrich them to rob more people,” he said.

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