Job scam victim Kamiesha Salmon shows a customer service employment contract that she received from the operators of the scheme. (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)
THREE women were yesterday taken into custody for questioning in connection with a suspected job scam being run by a man in prison and which has fleeced thousands of dollars from more than 100 job seekers across the island.
Commanding officer for the New Kingston police, Deputy Superintendent Christopher Murdock told the Jamaica Observer that about 5:15 pm authorities received complaints from angry job seekers about the operation and went to investigate.
“When we went to the location on Grenada Crescent scores of angry job seekers were seen gathered at the front of the location,” said Murdock, who added that some of them were from as far as St James.
Police said, after carrying out several interviews, the women posing as operators of the organisation were apprehended and removed from the location and spared possible harm from the group of irate employment seekers.
“Imagine, I went to the location and was told to pay over all of $3,000 as application fee to secure the jobs, and when I went to the location only to find out that no jobs were on offer,” said Tamika Nicholson, one of the desperate job seekers.
“For me, I had to send overseas to ask my brother for the funds to pay to secure the job, only to find out that it was all a scam,” said Shanese Breakenridge.
Kamiesha Salmon said she heard about the organisation from a friend who saw an advertisement about the company.
Yesterday, police said their investigation has revealed that the mastermind is a man who is in now serving time in prison for fraud.
“The person who is behind the operation is a man who is now in prison serving time for a similar operation,” said Murdock.
“One of the women who was taken into custody has claimed that the man, whom she has never met, was her boyfriend,” said the police.
