Unemployed Verulam teachers fall victim to R30 000 job scam
Image: AI Meta
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has issued a warning to unemployed teachers about the rising threat of job scams in the education sector.
This was after three unemployed teachers from Verulam fell victim to a fraudulent scheme, losing about R30 000 in total in their desperate search for employment.
Prem Balram, the head of Reaction Unit South Africa, said he received requests of assistance from unemployed educators, who claimed they were defrauded of substantial amounts of money with the promise of employment.
'The three complainants were teachers seeking employment in primary and secondary schools. They received WhatsApp messages from different individuals known in the teaching fraternity, with the name, profile picture, and status updates appearing genuine. The message indicated that a teaching post was available and a payment of R3 000 would secure the job,' said Balram.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
He said after the initial payment, the perpetrator requested additional funds from the victims.
'The victims were asked for more money for registration, etc. Eventually, all the victims paid about R10 000 each, believing they would be employed by the KZN Department of Education.
'The victims noted that during WhatsApp conversations, the scammer had comprehensive knowledge of their qualifications, institutions attended, and degree completion dates.
"When the teachers, whose images appeared on their profiles on WhatsApp, were approached, they denied knowledge of the conversation or of receiving any funds. At that stage, the victims realised they had been scammed."
Balram said one of the victims opened a criminal case at the Verulam police station.
Muzi Mahlambi, the spokesperson for the KZN Department of Education, said they have 'continuously' warned unemployed teachers against paying for posts.
'We always warn teachers about paying for jobs. They do not have to pay us to get the jobs. We are the ones who pay them when we have employed them and they are working,' he said.
THE POST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
2 hours ago
- eNCA
SA lawyer forces US tech giant to name site users
JOHANNESBURG - In a story similar to the Biblical David and Goliath, a South African lawyer and owner of the Digital Law Company has forced a US tech giant to disclose information about explicit content. The lawyer, Emma Sadlier, made WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram owner Meta Platforms disclose the information of users posting explicit content of South African schoolchildren. The Digital Law Company discovered over 1,000 explicit posts of children, including videos and photos, published by 30 Meta accounts in just a few days.
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Gayton responds to rumours PA spiked voters' drinks
Gayton McKenzie has clapped back at reports that his political party, the Patriotic Alliance, spiked the drinks of prospective voters with alcohol. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture responded to the claims made by a Democratic Alliance representative following a by-election in Nelson Mandela Bay. The parties disputed over the governance of Ward 34, which the DA ultimately won. According to a media report, DA representative Georgina Feldtman accused the PA of trying to bribe voters with cash at the polling station. Feltman claimed that voters were also given instructions on how to mark their ballot papers in favour of the party governed by Gayton McKenzie. She sensationally also claimed that the party had 'spiked' the water bottles for voters with gin. Responding to the allegation, Gayton clapped back on Facebook: 'The way she is talking, she not only tasted the gin but drank the whole bottles out before she spoke s**t'. Die way sy praat het sy nie net die Gin geproe maar die hele bottles uitgedrink voor sy die stront gepraat het 🤣 Posted by Gayton Mckenzie on Friday 25 July 2025 In an X post, Gayton McKenzie also accused the DA of spreading misinformation about him relating to a viral image, which mistakenly accused him of being associated with alleged murder mastermind, Katiso Molefe. The Sandton businessman was arrested on Monday, 21 July, after allegedly ordering a hit on Oupa John Sefoka, also known as DJ Sumbody, in 2021. On social media, an image of Gayton, PA deputy president Kenny Kunene and another man – later identified as Dan Bhuga – went viral. Many South Africans mistakenly confused the man with Molefe. Gayton McKenzie has responded to a viral pic of him and a friend, mistaken to be Katiso Molefe. The PA leader claims that the DA started the rumour. Images via X: @gaytonmck Gayton clapped back on X: 'Thank you very much, Patriots. The DA was delivering fake pictures of me with murder suspects to every house. But our people know that we would not lie to them. The WC is no longer a given for the DA.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
Fort Hare corruption case split into five parts to speed up prosecution
The complex corruption case has been divided for more efficient trials across East London courts. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has split the R172 million University of Fort Hare case into five legs to streamline the prosecution of the 21 accused. The NPA announced on Friday it had separated the Fort Hare fraud, corruption and money laundering charges into five separate cases. The state said this complicated and multifaceted case would be prosecuted more quickly and simpler by dividing it into different legs with specialised prosecution tactics for each. Fort Hare case split to speed up prosecution The legs will be allocated to five different presiding regional court magistrates in the East London Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the legs had been separated after the finalisation of the charge sheets. ALSO READ: Hitmen linked to murder of Fort Hare VC's bodyguard arrested 'Each magistrate will arrange trial dates with the respective legal representatives,' Tyali said. There are 21 accused in the five legs, including UFH employees, service providers, and their business entities. Nine of the accused were Fort Hare employees who are alleged to have conspired with service providers and their businesses to award contracts in exchange for benefits. R172 million More than R172 million was paid by the university to the service providers, with the bulk allegedly finding its way into the pockets of the accused staff members. At the university, the conclusion of these tenders was allegedly linked to violent incidents, including murder. ALSO READ: Hawks arrest three in R2m fraud scandal at University of Fort Hare The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the Eastern Cape, advocate Barry Madolo, has also withdrawn charges against Cape Town forensic lawyer Sarah Burger, who was initially charged with the 21 others. 'This decision was taken after lengthy engagements between the complainant (Fort Hare), the Eastern Cape prosecution team and Burger's legal representatives,' Tyali said. In April, three people were arrested in connection with the case. Three arrested in April The accused, former acting chief financial officer Simbongile Geqeza, 41, former head of investigation and vetting Isaac Plaatjies, 57, and family friend Claudine Davids, 44, were each granted bail of R10 000. According to the South African Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security cluster, the investigation uncovered two separate fraudulent schemes orchestrated by the accused. NOW READ: Three Fort Hare University murder suspects wanted as arrest warrants issued
