The City of Cape Town has warned job seekers not to fall for a fake “trainee traffic officer” job advert circulating online.

The advert claims the city is seeking to employee trainee traffic officers.

According to the corporate services directorate, this is an old advert issued by the city in 2016 that was closed in May of that same year.

Mayoral committee member for corporate services Theresa Uys said the city noticed a number of “desperate and unsuspecting” job seekers applying for the position.

“While the advert carries City of Cape Town details like the logo and correct website details, it is an old advert. It does not even have a closing date for applications.

“We understand the current job climate is extremely tough and we want to urge prospective applicants and recipients to carefully verify the authenticity of any advertisement before responding,” said Uys.

“It is very important to note that the city will never ask any person to pay to apply for a job, or any other opportunity with the city. Any such demand should immediately alert a prospective job seeker that the advertisement is fake.”

She encouraged job seekers interested in working for the city to look at vacancies and employment opportunities on its official website.

Uys also appealed to those circulating the message to stop doing so, saying it creates false hope and expectations among those in desperate need of employment.

The city has previously warned residents and job seekers about fraudsters offering false job offers.

Scammers are said to be sending messages to desperate job seekers to meet them at the Civic Centre and bring money to secure the job, before they are redirected to an internet cafe to create Gmail accounts to which “medical certificates” will be sent.

Uys condemned the criminality and warned job seekers to be vigilant.

“I urge new graduates and job seekers to be extra vigilant while searching for employment opportunities. The city would never ask for money from those applying for vacancies, internships and temporary work opportunities,” she said.

“I want to encourage those who have applied for jobs to keep safe the reference number and the title of the job they have applied for. Should someone phone or contact you, ask the caller for these specific details. If they cannot give you these details, you should know that it is a bogus call.”

Source: TimesLIVE