Image: Namibia Fact Check / Facebook
The post called on successful applicants to pay N$300 to get to the fake lodge to start work immediately
The post that started circulating around 22 June 2023 on both Facebook and WhatsApp claimed that a lodge, Erongo Dunes Lodge, was looking to urgently hire 22 personnel by 25 June 2023.
The post stated that the deadline for applications was the following day, 23 June 2023, and that applications should be sent to the email address provided (image below).
The scam begins once the email was sent, for then a response message would be received that stated:
As can be seen, the “selected candidates” were requested to pay a fee of N$300 before the deadline date for a shuttle to transport them to the fake Erongo Dunes Lodge to start work the following Monday.
All the tell-tale signs are in the post and the response email of this being a scam:
- Bad English use and grammatical errors, such as capitalised letters or words in the middle of sentences;
- Simple spelling mistakes – including spelling the contact person’s name and surname differently in the different texts, as well as things as stating “we are not going to Contact any interview” instead of “we are not going to conduct any interviews”;
- Liberal use of exclamation marks;
- And the absence of a corporate looking emblem or logo that denotes a proper or legitimate company or entity.
The facts
There is no Erongo Dunes Lodge listed on the Namibia Tourism Board’s lodge listings.
The only lodge with a similar sounding name and in the area that the fake Erongo Dunes Lodge claimed to be situated is the Wolwedans Dunes Lodge.
A Facebook user on 23 June 2023 posted a scam alert about the fake jobs at the fake lodge, stating:
“These damn scumbags are hitting where it hurts the most. Knowing that people are desperate for jobs.
This Erongo Dunes Lodge job opportunities is a SCAM.
The fixed line phone number is a number of one of the secondary schools in Swakopmund.
They tried to play smart but there is always a loophole. The payment requirement, the due date was today but they started sending out messages early in the morning already.
The surname is spelt differently and whole confusion with days and dates.
The following are the signs and indicators of a scam:
1. If it is too good to be true, it’s a SCAM!
(Immediate appointment, no interviews, salary details etc)
2. The moment they request payment, it’s a SCAM!
(N$300 payment before 17h00)
3. They normally don’t take phone calls. If you call and they don’t pick up… It’s a SCAM!
I REALLY PRAY NO ONE SENT THE SO MUCH TRANSPORT MONEY ALREADY!
Tsumeb targeted because they are expecting many applications from the northerners.“