Online Reporter
Trust Freddy and Tanyaradzwa Rusike
In a troubling trend, fraudulent job recruitment agents are preying on desperate job seekers, luring them with false promises of employment even when one does not have any qualifications save for an ordinary national identity card.
However, the catch lies in their demand for payment, ranging from US$25 to US$45, for these non-existence positions.
Desperate individuals, often facing financial hardships, are drawn in by the allure of easy employment.
The agents exploit this vulnerability, assuring job seekers that securing a position is as simple as paying a small fee. Many hopeful applicants, eager to improve their circumstances, hand over their money.
At least 26 verifiable individuals have fallen victim to the scam in Harare, with suspicions that the trend may be widespread across other cities.
Police have already warned the public to remain vigilant when dealing with recruitment agents, confirming receipt of 26 cases in Harare related to such scams.
It also emerged that wholesalers and retailers are colluding with job agents to exploit cheap labour.
Prospective job seekers are assigned menial tasks, such as shelf-stocking, under the guise of training, contrary to the promised till operating course. The new “trainees” are cycled in every two weeks to keep labour costs low and a permanent job never comes, only the realisation that one has been duped dawns.
The alleged training period comes with no payment, and job seekers are required to pay the agents for the fake training to be placed in a shop.
This setup creates a win-win situation for both the agents, who profit from the job seekers’ agent fee, and the shop owners, who benefit from cheap labour.
An investigation by the Checkpoint Desk indicates that the 26 reported cases may just be the tip of the iceberg, with many more people potentially falling prey to these recruitment scams.
“I need people for various jobs in shops (supermarkets, restaurants, boutiques, hardware, tuck shops, security, etc) in Harare. No experience or qualifications are required. If interested, please inbox your full name, age, location and working experience (if none, just say nil) on +263 71 897 9936 (call, text, or WhatsApp). Age limit: below 35 years. Priority given to Harare residents or those who can secure accommodation in Harare. Thank you,” reads part of the job advert circulating on social media.
Ironically, the job advert was shared in a 405 000-member WhatsApp prayer group, with the admins seemingly unaware that it was a fake opportunity.
Posing as genuine job seekers, an investigative news crew attended interviews at two alleged bogus recruitment agencies in Harare.
“Come to town tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock and meet Mrs Nomsa at Boka Islip House, 6th floor, room 603, located at the corner of Samora and Park Streets, opposite the Zesa Building/Jameson Hotel,” reads part of the message which this investigations news crew received.
“The entrance is along Park Street, opposite the building with shiny glasses. Bring your CV or ID if you don’t have a CV, call/text +263 71 897 9936. Salary ranges from US$200 to US$280, depending on the department you’ll be working in.”
Upon arrival, there were about 20 individuals inside while others, who didn’t have the cash upfront were turned away.
“I was hoping to get a job, but I’ve been asked to pay $25 upfront,” said Nokutenda Ndlovu. “The fee supposedly covers a three-day till operation course and a 14-day unpaid attachment, after which they’ll assist with job placement.
“I came for a job because I need to earn money, but it seems they want my money instead.”
Those who had paid their US$25 were reportedly attending training sessions on the sixth floor of Boka Islip House, with deployment to follow after three days.
One of the interviewers requested, “May I have your full name, address and ID, please? Also, could you specify the type of job you’re interested in?”
Similarly, our investigative team was turned away for not paying the US$25 fee, mirroring the experience of other job seekers.
However, the Checkpoint Desk successfully tracked down one of the job seekers who had completed the training and was scheduled to report to Shakes Trading Private Limited, a supermarket located in the Maha Complex in Ruwa.
“I have completed the course, so I’m heading to Ruwa to start my 14-day attachment,” the 20-year-old explained excitedly. “I was told I will either get a job at the attachment location or return here afterwards for job placement.”
When this news crew arrived at the shop, a general manager, who only identified herself as Nyasha, confirmed that two attaches had just arrived.
“Yes, we have two trainees who were referred to us,” she confirmed. “We’re unaware of their agreements with the agents. We simply provide a two-week training opportunity. You’re welcome to interview the trainees about their arrangements.”
However, she acknowledged that there are bogus agents. “Sometimes these agents mislead job seekers, who arrive expecting a salary,” she said. “They often leave once they realise the reality. We are a small team of three permanent staff and only take students for attachment as needed.”
The general manager also revealed that she had faced a similar incident: “I once fell victim to a similar scam, where I was asked to pay for a job opportunity that never materialised.”
Further investigation revealed that the intern had also been referred by another agent at Daventry House near the Charge Office, employing an identical approach.
“Come to town tomorrow at 8:00 am for an interview at Daventry Houses, located at the corner of Angwa and South Avenue,” reads part of the message which was shown to this news crew by one of the interns.
“Go to the 4th floor, Office 410, where you’ll meet Madam Aisha. Bring your ID or CV. Daventry House is next to the Charge Office, near Mohammed Mussa’s place, where Zupco buses from Chitungwiza operate.”
The intern, who requested anonymity said he was equally shocked to find out that he was supposed to pay money.
“I paid US$35 for the internship opportunity,” the intern revealed. “Currently, I’m not receiving any payment. After two weeks, I’ll get a certificate.”
However, the news crew observed that contrary to what they had been promised, the interns were tasked with menial duties, primarily restocking shelves and arranging merchandise, with no customer-facing or sales responsibilities; notably, their heads were already covered in mealie meal dust from packing.
The Checkpoint desk also visited another job recruitment agent located at Dolphin House 8th floor, office 814, corner Leopold Takawira and Nkrumah.
Upon arrival, this news crew observed that most of the offices were not occupied, the area was dingy and had no elevators. Applicants had to use stairs.
Similarly, there were more than 30 job seekers and the agents were also demanding US$25 as a prerequisite for getting a job.
However, their promise became suspicious when one of the interviewers asked our news crew for money.
“Alright, no problem if you don’t have US$25, but could you contribute US$3, US$5, or even just US$1 so we can provide a receipt?”
Another victim, who identified herself only as Vimbai, claimed she was scammed out of US$20 by an agent operating as “Five Stars Agent — All Zim Jobs with Dr Lanco”.
“I joined his WhatsApp channel where he advertised jobs, including one at a boutique in Avondale. He initially demanded US$40, but we negotiated it down to US$20, which I sent via Ecocash on 077 171 8047. However, the next morning, he was nowhere to be found at our agreed meeting spot. He claimed to be out of town and continued to make excuses.”
According to an insider, both the agents and shop owners are making a killing from such deals. “Look, it’s actually a syndicate: job recruitment agents stage fake training and refer these job seekers to retailers who need cheap labour,” the insider said. “After finishing the training another group comes in, once you are assigned to work in a shop, the job agents claim they have fulfilled their role.”
When contacted for comment, Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza said: “We have so far received 26 cases of people who have been duped by these people who say they want to give people jobs.
“Recently a group of people came to Harare Central Police Station to report a case. We went to the offices of those agents and they had already evacuated.”
He cautioned prospective job seekers to be always on high alert.
“For one to get a proper job you don’t need to pay money, you have to apply properly. So we are urging the public to run with their lives once they hear such job offers because, at the end of the day, they will be scammed.”
