Conmen defraud job seekers ahead of AP, police hiring

By RENSON MNYAMWEZI

Taita-Taveta County

Fraudsters have invaded Taita-Taveta County and are cheating the public out of their money pretending they would help them secure jobs in the Police Deparment.

Several people have fallen prey to the con artists who are collecting Sh5,500 from potential recruits.

Taita DC Njenga Miiri on Tuesday warned wananchi to be wary of the conmen.

"Some people are taking advantage of the high rate of unemployment among the youth to obtain money from the public.

This is wrong and the Government will take stern action against those involved," warned Miiri.

He urged the media and Provincial Administration to sensitise residents not to give bribes, adding the exercise would be transparent.

"The recruitment will be free. Nobody should pay kickback to people masquerading as recruitment officers," Miiri warned.

One of the victims, Mercy Pwaru, said she received a call from somebody who identified himself as a police recruitment officer.

Send money

"The caller asked me if I wanted to be employed as a police officer. I instead told him I had a brother who is jobless and he told me to send him his particulars through a text message," she said.

After doing that, the supposed recruitment officer later told her to send Sh5,500 through M-Pesa so that her brother’s appointment letter could be processed.

"The conman told me that once I send the money, my brother will not appear at the recruitment venue and will instead go straight to the police training college," she said.