DIRCO warns South African youth against overseas job scams
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has urged South Africans to contact them before accepting overseas job offers after a young woman from Limpopo fell victim to a teaching job scam in Thailand. DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela sounded the alarm as he responded to a tweet from a community leader asking for donations […]
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has urged South Africans to contact them before accepting overseas job offers after a young woman from Limpopo fell victim to a teaching job scam in Thailand.
DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela sounded the alarm as he responded to a tweet from a community leader asking for donations for another young person from the Free State, Xolani Sidwell Fongo, who is reportedly stuck in Cambodia.
Fongo reportedly went to Thailand in November 2022 for a data capturer job only to find that they were employed to scam people.
WARNING ABOUT OVERSEAS JOB SCAMS
Monyela said he received a call about a young woman who fell victim to a job scam in Thailand.
“Please warn young people in your circles not to fall for these scams. Contact DIRCO before you accept overseas job offers. Human trafficking is real. I’ve alerted our Consular Services team to attend to the two cases. Download the DIRCO Travel Smart App from your App store,” he said.
ALSO READ: SA students in Russia facing eviction and expulsion over non-payment
I just got a call about a young woman from Limpopo who also fell victim to a job scam (English teacher) in Thailand. Please warn young people in your circles not to fall for these scams. Contact @DIRCO_ZA before you accept overseas job offers. Human trafficking is real. I've… https://t.co/bLyDbk0UVA
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) June 13, 2023
Several young South Africans who fell victim to job scams have been widely reported in recent years. In most instances, they are lured to overseas countries to traffic drugs.
ALSO READ: VIDEO – Heavy rain causes flooding and mudslide in Cape Town
GROWING DEMAND FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN TEACH ENGLISH OVERSEAS
The field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is one of the fastest-growing educational sectors worldwide.
According to the Wits Language School more countries are now offering native speakers the opportunity to teach English without needing a degree. There are endless opportunities beyond the borders of South Korea and Japan, and all one needs is a TEFL certification.
ALSO READ: Be careful: Job seekers in Africa exposed to online scammers