• South Africa’s power utility warns of a new wave of internet scams claiming money from unsuspecting victims.
• The latest of which sees a fake employment offer to work at Eskom’s Medupi Power Station.
• Once accepted, victims are asked to bring money to fake interviews in Gauteng.

South African power utility Eskom says that a new wave of internet scams is afoot, with threat actors impersonating Eskom itself in order to swindle South Africans out of their money.

“Eskom has noted with concern various recruitment scams targeting its power stations. The latest of these scams was directed at Medupi Power Station where scammers advertised jobs on the internet purporting to be for vacant positions at the power station,” the utility said in a media statement posted to X, the former Twitter.

This particular type of scam is quite sinister, as Eskom explains that these false recruitment messages lure unsuspecting victims to fake interviews in Gauteng, where they are asked to bring money along for “expenses” such as for accommodation and transport to Lephalale, where Medupi is located.

Once paid to the scammers after or during the fake interview, victims will never see the money again, and they won’t be getting employed by Eskom. Another similar scam sees victims asked to deposit these monies ahead of the interview into scammer bank accounts under false pretences for expenses like PPE gear or medical assessments after the interview.

Eskom says that when it does have vacancies available, it will host them on its official website only, adding that “Under no circumstances will Eskom require any payment from applicants during its recruitment process.”

It seems since complaints started trickling in about such scams, Eskom has managed to catch three suspects involved – one male and two females, it says – thanks to a joint operation with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

“The suspects were charged at the Douglasdale Police Station on 26 June 2023 and appeared at the Randburg Magistrates Court on 28 June 2023,” it says.

Government entities are often the target of scammers and fraudsters. These are often in the guise of promises of employment, taking advantage of a desperate nation dealing with record unemployment rates.

In January, the Department of Employment and Labour warned South Africans that threat actors were circulating fake job advertisements online in order to steal money from people. This particular scam required individuals to pay a deposit before they were promised work and a large salary.

Eskom says that if you feel you have fallen victim to a similar scam, contact Colonel Naido at 082 820 6174 or SMS the Eskom Crime Line on 32211.