Fishy job offer hooks Namibians

NAMIBIANS desperate for jobs have fallen prey to a reported scam which promises jobs in Norway, Alaska, Iceland and Greenland.

An agency, Unique Jobs, recently placed advertisements in Namibian newspapers for jobs abroad and collects “processing fees” of N$1 100 from people who show an interest in working in fish factories in those countries. The agency initially recruited some Namibians to advertise the scheme and who transfer the funds to its SA account.One of them, a certain Kafu, told The Namibian this week that the company was registered in South Africa and he was just transferring the funds for them.Jon Bech, Norwegian Ambassador in Pretoria, said they had discovered a similar scam in South Africa and had reported the case to the police.”Here the company was known as Unique Foreign Jobs and we approached the Police to investigate them.Since then, we have had no applications for visas from people who want to go to Norway,” he said.He said there were no such jobs in Norway and claimed people were being duped into depositing R440 into the account of the SA company.Klaus Andresen, Norwegian Honorary Consul General in Namibia, said he became concerned when people started streaming into his office with applications for visas.”It is a scam.They must stop immediately; otherwise we will push for their prosecution.People come to us and get very disappointed when they discover that it is a scam,” Andresen charged.Kafu said job hunters gave him N$1 100 of which he forwarded N$850 to a certain Barbara in Johannesburg and kept the rest for himself.He said the agency promised two-year jobs paying between US$4 000 (around N$25 600) and US$8 000 (N$51 200) per month.However, Barbara denied any contact with Kafu.”I only know Antonio there.He takes all the applications for us.But we don’t guarantee any jobs.We are an information centre,” she told The Namibian.Barbara said Unique Jobs was a legitimate “publishing company” and had been operating for four years in SA.She confirmed that the Police had investigated them in the past.She said they only provided an information package containing details about companies in Europe to clients and forwarded the application forms to such companies.Asked whether they had sent any Namibians abroad, she responded:”We have just started advertising in Namibia.”She was quick to say that there were “lots of other people in Namibia doing the same thing” and that there had never been a problem with them.Some of the victims who had parted with their much-needed money blamed the newspapers for advertising dubious schemes.”Why did The Namibian advertise a non-existing company,” fumed one victim from Katutura.Another one from Gobabis said she knew something was not right with the manner in which the company operated and had given up hope of recovering the N$1 100 she paid to a local agent.Ambassador Bech said they would approach the Police if they continued to get more applications for visas.The agency initially recruited some Namibians to advertise the scheme and who transfer the funds to its SA account.One of them, a certain Kafu, told The Namibian this week that the company was registered in South Africa and he was just transferring the funds for them.Jon Bech, Norwegian Ambassador in Pretoria, said they had discovered a similar scam in South Africa and had reported the case to the police.”Here the company was known as Unique Foreign Jobs and we approached the Police to investigate them.Since then, we have had no applications for visas from people who want to go to Norway,” he said.He said there were no such jobs in Norway and claimed people were being duped into depositing R440 into the account of the SA company.Klaus Andresen, Norwegian Honorary Consul General in Namibia, said he became concerned when people started streaming into his office with applications for visas.”It is a scam.They must stop immediately; otherwise we will push for their prosecution.People come to us and get very disappointed when they discover that it is a scam,” Andresen charged.Kafu said job hunters gave him N$1 100 of which he forwarded N$850 to a certain Barbara in Johannesburg and kept the rest for himself.He said the agency promised two-year jobs paying between US$4 000 (around N$25 600) and US$8 000 (N$51 200) per month.However, Barbara denied any contact with Kafu.”I only know Antonio there.He takes all the applications for us.But we don’t guarantee any jobs.We are an information centre,” she told The Namibian.Barbara said Unique Jobs was a legitimate “publishing company” and had been operating for four years in SA.She confirmed that the Police had investigated them in the past.She said they only provided an information package containing details about companies in Europe to clients and forwarded the application forms to such companies.Asked whether they had sent any Namibians abroad, she responded:”We have just started advertising in Namibia.”She was quick to say that there were “lots of other people in Namibia doing the same thing” and that there had never been a problem with them.Some of the victims who had parted with their much-needed money blamed the newspapers for advertising dubious schemes.”Why did The Namibian advertise a non-existing company,” fumed one victim from Katutura.Another one from Gobabis said she knew something was not right with the manner in which the company operated and had given up hope of recovering the N$1 100 she paid to a local agent.Ambassador Bech said they would approach the Police if they continued to get more applications for visas.