News Wings

Tag: South Africans

  • Don’t fall for it: How to spot social media job scams a mile away

    Don’t fall for it: How to spot social media job scams a mile away

    …As social media becomes more intertwined with our daily routines, sly cybercriminals are using it to trick people with fake job offers; What are these social-media recruitment scams, and how can you spot the red flags?

     With over 32% of South Africans struggling to find jobs, it is no wonder that scams targeting job seekers are becoming more common. “Cybercriminals are always evolving their tricks to match the latest trends,” asserts Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA. “As job-searches on social media grow, so does the potential for recruitment-related fraud.”

    Types of recruitment scams

    There are two types of recruitment scams, although they all have the same aim: conning you into giving them money or your personal details. The first kind involves impersonation, in which fraudsters pose as legitimate recruiters and reach out to you via WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn or email. “They may use stolen logos and profile pictures of very attractive people to lure you into thinking they’re from an HR department or recruitment firm,” explains Collard.

    Recently, there have been scams where fraudsters posed as the Department of Employment and Labour to advertise fake job opportunities. In these incidents, individuals seeking jobs were required to pay R250 upfront for supposed “background checks” at PEP stores. Similarly, job seekers from the North-West province fell victim to a scheme where they paid for transportation to an interview and half-day training in Centurion, only to find out that the job offers were non-existent.

    The second type of scam involves fake job postings. Using legitimate job boards, scammers post fake job offers to get your personal information. “Facebook, with its broad user base, is particularly desirable for scammers,” comments Collard. “They exploit the platform’s features, like Groups and Marketplace, to post fake job listings and approach potential victims.”

    When you are hunting for a job, how can you stay safe? Here are three clear indicators that the job posting or recruitment drive could be a scam.

    1. Unsolicited offers and unprofessional communication

    “Beware of unsolicited job offers, especially if you didn’t apply for them,” advises Collard. Legitimate employers follow a formal recruitment process and will not haphazardly reach out on social media.

    Another red flag is unprofessional communication. Spelling errors, poor grammar, an international phone number on WhatsApp, or an email address from Gmail or Yahoo should make you take a step back.

    1. Remote work that pays well

    Another warning bell is that the job offer is “fully remote,” and offers very attractive remuneration. “Often this is a sign that it’s a scam,” cautions Collard, “as criminals know that most people want to work from home. Also, if the salary sounds astronomical for the particular position, be wary.” Rather, research what the salary range of similar positions is before you respond to tempting job offers. “It’s also better to verify the job offer is real by contacting the company directly,” she says.

    1. Requests for payment or your info

    However, the most significant warning sign is when they ask for payment for application fees, training courses, or background checks. As per the Employment Services Act, no one can charge jobseekers for employment services. “If you are asked to pay anything for your recruitment, it is a clear scam,” Collard emphasises.

    Similarly, legitimate employers will not ask for your sensitive personal information, such as your ID number or bank account details, until a very advanced stage of the recruitment process. “This information is usually only requested after a job offer has been extended,” explains Collard.

    To ensure your safety during your job search, it is important to take precautions. Trust your instincts and be cautious. As Collard advises, “Pay attention to warning signs such as unsolicited job offers, requests to download links, and demands for payment or personal information.” By maintaining a healthy level of scepticism and taking proactive steps to verify the legitimacy of job offers and recruiters, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams. And remember, anything that sounds or looks too good to be true most likely isn’t.

  • Feature: Let’s Change the Generator Republic Narrative

    Feature: Let’s Change the Generator Republic Narrative

    by Ayo Akinfe

    Given that this Nations Cup has led to South Africans nicknaming Nigeria Generator Republic, our government should be shamed into acting by coming up with an action plan that looks like this

    [1] As from October 1 2024, no building in Nigeria will be granted a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) unless it has solar panels installed on its roof

    [2] As from 2026, all buildings in Nigeria must have solar panels installed on their roofs. Not having one will attract prosecution with the risk of the property being forfeited to the federal government

    [3] By the end of 2025, all public buildings in Nigeria must be fitted with solar panels

    [4] By the end of 2026, every local government area in Nigeria must have constructed and commissioned a micro-grid that can distribute enough electricity to power its territory

    [5] By the end of 2026, every state government in Nigeria must have constructed and commissioned a mini-grid that can distribute enough electricity to power its territory

    [6] By January 1 2027, each of Nigeria’s eight coastal states must have built an offshore wind farm

    [7] By January 1 2026, every state must have a minimum of one solar farm that measures at least 10 square kilometres

    [8] By January 1 2027, all street lights in Nigeria must be powered by solar energy

    [9] By January 1 2027, every industrial estate in Nigeria must generate its own power. All such industrial estates will be disconnected from the national grid by October 1 2027

    [10] As from January 1 2025, it will be illegal to import electricity generators into Nigeria

  • Feature: Privatisation necessary to kick-start SA’s recovery

    Feature: Privatisation necessary to kick-start SA’s recovery

    by Nicholas Woode-Smith

    Parastatals, state-owned enterprises, and government interference in the economy all contribute to the continual rise in corruption and decline in competence in those enterprises and in the economy as a whole. The cure for their ineptitude and criminality is to privatise these state-owned enterprises and put as many government functions as possible in the hands of the private sector.
     
    The root of our failing economy and collapsing society is the government, its obsession with socialist central planning, and its uncontrollable urge to appoint incompetent cadres and political yes-men in positions that require competent businessmen and bureaucrats – not politicians.
     
    The ruling party and its allies openly support a system of governance that sees them place their friends and political allies in positions of governance. They don’t care if these individuals are competent or qualified. Or if they’re even honest. This has led to huge corruption across all levels of government and throughout our economy – as even private sector businesses are forced to invite in government appointees due to BEE regulations.
     
    Our tendering system is also awash with corruption, incompetent ideologies, and politicking. When we should be picking the best provider for the job, instead the government wrangles everything to ensure that their friend gets the job.
     
    Just look at the recent case with PetroSA picking Russia’s Gazprombank to help them restart the gas-to-liquid refinery in Mossel Bay. Not only did PetroSA pick a foreign company rather than local businesses, they picked a company that is associated with a country facing global sanctions – further threatening our global reputation.
     
    How did this happen?
     
    The tendering process was awash with controversy, with PetroSA receiving bids before even advertising the tender. This stinks of corruption. And with the government’s track record of sucking up to Russia, despite its invasion of Ukraine, terrible human rights record, and the fact that it doesn’t actually have anything much to offer South Africa, we can clearly see that this was a politically and corruption-motivated deal.
     
    If PetroSA was privatised, would this have happened? PetroSA would pick a partner based on economic merits, not political benefits. It also wouldn’t be convinced to make deals with foreign powers for political kickbacks.
     
    And even if it did, the damage would not be as great. Rather than the entirety of South Africa being tarnished by associating with Russia, only one private company would face scorn.
     
    Corruption in Eskom is well-documented—the same in Transnet. Beyond state-owned enterprises, which all host significant levels of corruption, and varying levels of gross incompetence, municipalities suffer from even worse criminality.
     
    And at the core of all this corruption is access to public coffers, a lack of accountability due to there being no competition, and consumers having no choice.
     
    The cure to all of this is to unbundle, decentralise, and privatise as many of these state-owned enterprises as possible. And, on top of that, to privatise ostensible “government functions” in general as well. The government has proven inept at performing basic tasks. So, where possible, its job should be done by the private sector.
     
    The process by which these assets and functions are privatised must, however, be closely monitored by society at large, the private sector, the media, and independent regulators. The state-owned enterprises and governmental functions can’t just be sold or given away as is to politicians or their friends. They must be unbundled into individual assets and facilities, and granted to the private sector in bidding wars that measure both simple monetary bids, competence, and require a lack of association with political actors or corrupt entities.
     
    The reason for the decentralisation is that a private monopoly suffers from many of the flaws that a public monopoly does. Alongside privatisation, there must also be vast deregulation to allow new entrants to these industries. There shouldn’t be a single company taking over electricity procurement, but dozens, if not hundreds. The same goes for all functions that need to be privatised.
     
    Free market imperative
     
    To lower the risk of corruption, complacency, and endemic incompetence, there must be a vibrant free market with fiery competition. When these companies are allowed to fail, and be replaced by better companies, then we will know we have a healthy economy.
     
    On top of this, with the government no longer needing to fund and subsidise so many state-owned enterprises, it can service its debt, redirect funds to functions it should run (like law enforcement), or even lower the tax burden.
     
    The tendering process must also be made as transparent as possible, with government functions becoming consumer-centric rather than tenders being chosen by officials. For example, equip many companies to take over some of the responsibilities of Home Affairs, or road repairs, and let consumers and communities choose which company they would like to perform the task – not an official who will inevitably choose his friend or the company that bribed him.
     
    Ultimately, decentralisation and privatisation can only be a net good for South Africans, and the only thing that will truly lessen the impact of corruption on our people.

    Nicholas Woode-Smith, an author, economic historian, and political analyst, is a contributing author for the Free Market Foundation.