Why does the recruiter want me to pay a registration or admin fee?
Because the fee is the whole point: there is no job. Real employers and recruitment agencies do not charge job seekers; the employer pays the agency. Any fee to apply, register, be shortlisted, get trained or receive a uniform is a scam.
The job is often a security guard, driver, cleaner, call centre agent or government post. The fee is small, the number of victims is large, and the "office" is a WhatsApp number that goes dead on the start date.
What to do
- Do not pay. Say you will pay from your first salary and see how fast they disappear.
- Look for the vacancy on the company's official website or phone its switchboard.
- Check the agency name on the CIPC register and search it with "scam".
- Check the recruiter's number and email address.
- If you paid, phone your bank and open a case with SAPS; keep the advert and the messages.
Frequently asked questions
- They say the fee is refunded on your first day. Does that make it legal?
- No. Agencies may not charge you at all. The refund never comes.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
Check a person