IN SHORT: Beware South Africa, these job adverts for “road cleaners and general workers services” are scams. They use unverified links and numbers, trying to trick social media users out of their personal information.
“ROAD CLEANER'S AND GENERAL WORKERS SERVICES X 200,” starts a job ad doing the rounds on Facebook in South Africa.
It claims that social media users can earn a salary of R6,700 a month (approximately US$360) with the minimum requirements of “grade 9/12, no criminal record, must be unemployed, hardworking”.
The job ad includes two links where users can supposedly apply for the positions. It also lists a WhatsApp number “for application process”.
Similar job ads have been posted elsewhere on the social media platform, with some listing only a WhatsApp number for applications.
We’ve fact-checked several similar bogus job offers this year, so is this just another scam to add to the list?
We investigated.
Signs aplenty
As with most of the job scams we encounter, and subsequently debunk, our first red flag for this particular job post is an unverified application link.
When clicking either link in the posts, social media users are taken to a simple-looking website with an application for “ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT”. This appears unrelated to the road cleaner and general worker service jobs in the Facebook posts, which is a cause for suspicion.
The “application page” asks site visitors to “leave a reply” by filling in a comment, name and email address. This could lead to a loss of further personal information and possibly money.
The Facebook posts also list a WhatsApp number, where users can supposedly apply for the positions. This can also be dangerous, as users may be tricked into handing over sensitive information, like identity numbers or bank account details, or even coaxed into paying a fee for a fake interview.
The posts also lack any real detail about the supposed jobs. Only listing a salary and a few requirements in a job advert should raise suspicion.
Don’t fall prey to other scams
Falling prey to job scams can end up costing you money and your personal information. But how can you avoid being conned? Here are three questions to ask yourself.
- Has the page or account been verified by the social media platform? Often scammers create multiple pages for their false job adverts to gain wider reach. Always ensure that you’re looking at legit social media accounts for jobs, especially when handing over information like your name or contact details.
- Does it link to an unrelated website? If a post includes a link to an online application, but the website appears to be unrelated to the details in the job ad, you can be sure it’s not legitimate. It will be a site set up by the scammers.
- Have I seen these tactics before? Scammers on social media have a tendency to use the same tactics across multiple job scams, fake promotions or giveaways. Look out for tactics such as promising high pay for a relative lack of experience, linking to unrelated websites, asking users to comment or direct message, and asking for payment for interviews.
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
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