NATIONAL NEWS - Quick-thinking private security at Northdale Hospital in KZN prevented a job scam on Tuesday, saving a couple from losing an additional R6 000 in a cash-for-job scheme.
The scam was set to take place at the hospital, where the jobs were allegedly available.
The couple had already fallen victim to the scammers, losing R9 000, which they paid last Friday in exchange for a promised job.
When contacted by The Witness on Wednesday, one of the scammers claimed they intended to repay the money.
“I can’t say much on the phone. People get killed or disappear when it comes to sensitive information like this. We were going to get the couple into the system, but things did not go at the pace we anticipated. I’ll pay my share of the R9 000 on the 15th of this month.
“I didn’t mean to cause any harm. My part here was to use my card for the deposit of R9 000, that’s all,” said the woman scammer, whose name is known to The Witness.
Senior security officer Qondi Mzolo explained that the couple approached them on Tuesday, when they were about to pay the final amount to the scammers.
Mzolo said the couple became suspicious when a promised nursing job for the woman failed to materialise, prompting them to seek advice.
“The man told us they were waiting for people who had promised them jobs for cash and had already paid R9 000 last Friday, showing us proof of the transaction.
“They were told the jobs were available here in Northdale, and I immediately recognised it as a scam. I advised him to go along with the scammers when they arrived so we could apprehend them.
“When the suspects showed up, we executed our plan, took them to our office, and I contacted the police,” Mzolo explained.
She said they later took the suspects and the victims to the Mountain Rise police station.
The couple explained that the R9 000 paid was for a nursing position, and the R6 000 was for a driver’s job for the man.
They were instructed to meet the scammers at the hospital for the final payment.
“I was referred to these people by someone I know. I believed they could help me secure the nursing job and get my partner the driver position. After the scammers were caught, security took them to the Mountain Rise police station, where a person we thought was the station commander advised that the two should be arrested and that we should open a case,” said the woman.
“I gave my statement, but everything after that is a blur because I keep thinking about how much I lost.”
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