Conmen reaping big from desperate job seekers

Kenyan jobseekers have become vulnerable to conmen posing as potential recruiters. Recently, over 400 job seekers from Tigania were left stranded in Taita-Taveta County after spending Sh1300 each to get registered for an alleged Standard Gauge Railway job.

In a similar scenario, a jobseeker, Ken (not his real name), recently revealed that he had sent his CV to a reputable organisation but got a call a day later from a different firm claiming they had gone through his resume and could offer him a job.

Surprised and desperate, he accepted the offer and agreed to attend an interview as they had requested, though he had not heard of the firm’s operations before.

“I really needed a job, I was ready to do anything to get the job, so I agreed to their terms,” he said. They asked for Sh1000 registration fee which was to be refunded on qualification. To cut the story short, he never got the job.

So many job seekers desperately looking for means to fend for themselves, and trying to cope up with the high costs of living have often found themselves into con websites and offices claiming to be offering jobs, but soon they realise that the supposed job does not exist and so is the company offering it.

The conmen have become so many that they are unavoidable in a job-hunting environment. They have devised ways and updated their tactics to regularly manipulate their victims and to keep up with the growing awareness of their soon-to be victims. The deals are sweetened and sometimes colourful language is used to attract and make the jobs look genuine to their unsuspecting clients.

The public should be aware of the nature of scam jobs as they always have similar characteristics such as; no experience is needed, high salary, you are required to send some money, you’re being hired on the spot, receiving emails from a non-business address, you are asked for personal information such as bank account number, you are contacted at odd hours, you are asked to pay for the job and many other questionable demands and obligations.

However, the blame on the growth of this practice should also be extended to the general public who are obsessed with any form of job adverts placed in all corners of the streets and in the local dailies. Job hunters who normally apply for everything offered without questioning their credibility therefore exposing themselves to multiple conmen waiting for an opportunity to grasp.

In a country where securing a job is like striking oil, it can only get worse if no measures are put in place. Today many are still falling to the trap of getting conned on a daily basis.