By Lee-Yandra Paulsen
In the Western Cape, a deceptive scam is exploiting vulnerable individuals by falsely posing as representatives of the Gift of the Givers (GOTG) Foundation, claiming to offer employment opportunities within the organisation.
During an interview with VOC Breakfast on Tuesday, Gift of the Givers project manager Ali Sablay addressed the issue, stating, “It is unfortunate we still have people in our communities trying to scam the vulnerable and poor. There are many scams going around and we want to appeal to the public it is not Gift of the Giver policy. We will never ever phone any individual SMS, or WhatsApp asking for money or running a campaign.”
Sablay recounted a specific incident involving a hairdresser from Skaapkraal who was identified and tracked down. “She has been targeting women who have just been retrenched or are unemployed, telling them she is an HR lady from Gift of the Givers. She has asked these women to apply for a job in the organization and charges them up to R1,200 for uniforms and registration. There have been many cases of people who fell for this trap.”
The victims were encouraged to report the fraud to the police, and one of them has already seen some progress. “Just this morning, one of the victims called me to say they have called the lady who scammed them, and she has agreed to pay them back,” Sablay mentioned.
Another scam has involved a man claiming to run a competition on behalf of Gift of the Givers. Sablay explained, “A gentleman was phoning around asking people to enter a competition that starts at R500. From that R500, you get a thousand points, and for R1000, you get a hundred thousand points. This supposedly leads to a prize, and he claimed that Gift of the Givers is running a campaign for a project. So, they are having this lucky draw and raffle. This is not Gift of the Givers policy. Immediately when you hear these words or approaches from individuals, it must raise a red flag.”
Sablay urged the public to report such fraudulent activities to the police immediately. He expressed hope that the authorities would apprehend these scammers. “Some people have borrowed money to participate in these events and, unfortunately, are still unemployed and are now worse off as they have to repay people to apply for this kind of work. If people are in doubt, they can contact our toll-free number 0800 786 911.”
The GOTG Foundation remains committed to its mission of helping the needy and vulnerable and warns the public to be vigilant against these scams. Sablay’s plea is clear: “We will never ask for money via phone calls, SMS, or WhatsApp. Always verify through official channels if you are unsure.”
VOC News
Photo: Pixabay
