JOHANNESBURG - The government has raised the alarm over job scams circulating on social media.
It comes amid widely circulated videos promoting lucrative opportunities in Russia, targeting young women.
Even more concerning is that these scams are being promoted by social media influencers, making the deception appear more credible.
Verlie Oosthuizen, head of Social Media Law at Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys, says this is a terrifying act and probably falls in the realm of cybercrime as well as scams in all shapes and forms.
She argues that the severity of this matter has shed the spotlight on the lack of regulation in the influencer space.
Speaking on the extent to which influencers can be held liable for such an act, given the role they play within society,
Oosthuizen says the matter depends on the facts of the case and what the influencers were told themselves
“If they fell prey to a sophisticated scam and it looked very legitimate, they are then part of a crime themselves, unwittingly, but if influencers are actually perpetrators of the crime, it is like any criminal activity,” she said
Oosthuizen has urged influencers to be more cautious about the products and opportunities they endorse, warning that promoting products that could prove dangerous, might result in serious consequences.
In the same argument, she has also called on social media users to remain vigilant:
* If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. * Job seekers should never pay for employment opportunities. * Always verify the credibility of the job and company. |