- The latest of these scams was directed at the Medupi Power Station where the scammers advertised jobs on the internet purporting to be for vacant positions at the power station. Unsuspecting job seekers would then apply and be lured to bogus interviews in Gauteng.
Upon receiving several complaints from members of the public about the recruitment scam at Medupi, Eskom launched a joint operation with the South African Police Service (SAPS), which led to the arrest of three suspects, two females and a male accomplice. The suspects were charged at the Douglasdale Police Station on 26 June 2023 and appeared at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court on 28 June 2023. They will appear again at the same court, on 16 August 2023.
As part of the modus operandi, job seekers are advised to bring money for expenses such as accommodation and transport to Lephalale where the Medupi Power Station is located. In some instances, the unsuspecting job seekers are required to deposit more money into a bank account for other expenses such as personal protective equipment (PPE) or medical assessment following the interviews, among other reasons.
Eskom advises job seekers to be aware that vacancies in the organisation are on its recruitment website which can accessed by visiting www.eskom.co.za and cautions job seekers against using any other links found on the internet.
Under no circumstances will Eskom require any payment from applicants during its recruitment process.
Anyone who had fallen victim to the recruitment scam at Medupi Power Station is urged to contact Colonel Naidoo on 082 820 6174 or SAPS on 08600 10111 or SMS the Eskom Crime Line on 32211.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
