Ugandans beware of jobs scam

By Wesley Spatan

Last evening, I made a comment on a page story at Get Jobs Agency Uganda (can be accessed via web, www.getjobsug.com) titled: “Urgent Mass Recruitment by Compassion International Uganda; Apply Now.” In my comment I cited that, the so-called job advert was a scam and only meant to reap off unsuspecting Ugandans. My comment was deleted and the Admin banned me from interacting with the page. Job scam!

I’m not an employee of Compassion International – Uganda, nor do I come out to speak on behalf of the organisation, but as a concerned citizen, who understands the plight of my fellow youths that are searching for jobs, I can factually say it again, that whoever is behind that advert is a scammer. The advert is intended to solicit money from gullible Ugandan youths who are in search for jobs.

Last night, I combed through the Compassion International website, made several Google searches for anything related to such a mass recruitment and didn’t find any announcement of the sort. The available jobs from the organisation can be accessed here: https://careers-compassion.icims.com/jobs/search. To give it a worthy effort, I reached out to their offices in Kasese, this morning, and they told me the organisation is not aware of such a mass recruitment of over 1,500 people as the Get Jobs Agency Uganda page claims.

Fast forward:

The page whose credibility can’t be trusted as an authentic page in sourcing for job vacancies, has been posting from January 29, 2018 to date, about a mass recruitment by Compassion International – Uganda, which has never happened. Has anyone out there ever got recruited by C.I. through such a program?

Secondly, why’d the Recruitment Officer (purported to be from Compassion International) ask applicants to part with UGX 15,000 to apply for a job you’re not guaranteed to have? Worse still, send the money via Mobile Money to + 256 785 929635 as the prerequisite before applying??

In my comment, I further alerted Ugandans to be vigilant on social media. It’s eye-popping to see scores of unsuspecting men and women give out their mobile phone numbers and emails on a public page. That act endangers your security given the insecurity of our nation today. You don’t know who will come by that page and harvest all your numbers. Do you ever ask yourself where conmen that disguise as being from telecommunication companies get your numbers from??

Ugandans, read, read, read thoroughly and understand before you act. It’s a nonstarter for an employer to ask you to apply online and all you do is tell him/her to contact you through your numbers and emails. Who does that? Personally, if I’m an employer, I wouldn’t consider you, even if you’ve all the qualifications. It means you’d fail on basic things; which actually matter most.

As we search for jobs, especially on social media, let’s mind about the instructions laid down. If I came across a job advert on a certain page and I’m required to apply via email, I wouldn’t waste time commenting, but rather pick out the essentials and head straight to my email and apply. Not putting down my addresses and numbers for the employer to call me. This is how you beat job scam.