Job-scam checklist

A real employer can still have a clumsy advert. Treat the list below as warnings, not as proof. You can still save an advert in your tracker after you have read the flags. JobSeek does not decide for you, and it does not contact the employer.

Payment or "admin fees"

The advert, the WhatsApp chat, or the "HR officer" asks you to pay before you start. The names change: admin fee, registration fee, training kit, uniform, police clearance that only they can get, or a fee to "release" the job.

What to do. Do not pay. A genuine offer does not start with you sending money. Stop the chat and do not send bank details. If you have already paid, go to a police station, take any receipt, the number, and the advert, and report the fraud. Keep your own copies.

WhatsApp-only contact

The only way to reach them is a cellphone number on WhatsApp. There is no company switchboard, no company domain in the email address, and the interview is only on WhatsApp.

What to do. Look up the company on its own website and call a number you found yourself, not the number in the chat. Ask whether the vacancy exists. If you cannot find the company at all, walk away.

A recruiter on a free mailbox only

The person claims to be a recruiter or an HR manager, and the only email is a free mailbox (for example Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook), with no company address anywhere in the advert.

What to do. Free mail on its own is not a crime. Many small businesses use it. It is a warning when it is the only trace of the company, or when they refuse to use a company address. Ask for the company's registered name and check it before you send documents.

Unrealistic pay

The pay is far above what that job usually pays, the hours are vague, and they rush you to decide on the same day. Sometimes the "job" is really a request to receive and forward money, or to recruit other people for a fee.

What to do. Pause. Compare the duties with the pay. Do not accept parcels, transfer money, or recruit friends for a fee. If the story is that you keep a commission for moving someone else's funds, it is not a job.

A copy of your identity document before an interview

They want a copy of your identity document, bank card, or proof of residence before any real interview, often together with a fee.

What to do. Do not send it. You can refuse. A South African public-service advert is different: the Z83 and CV go in first, and certified copies are asked only from shortlisted candidates, on or before the interview. That request comes from the department in the advert, not from a stranger on WhatsApp. See the DPSA and Z83 guide.

If you already sent something

• If you sent money, report it at a police station as soon as you can. Take the advert, the number, and the proof of payment.
• If you sent copies of your identity document or bank card, contact your bank about the card. Watch your accounts. You can also complain about misuse of personal information to the Information Regulator. The contacts are in the Privacy Notice: inforegulator.org.za/complaints.
• Tell the job board, if you found the advert on one, using that site's own report button.
• Do not send more documents to "fix" the problem. That is a common second step in the same scam.

JobSeek will not ask you for a fee to "release" your CV, and we will not ask for a copy of your identity document.