Zim Now Writer
Several job seekers have allegedly lost money after they were scammed by Bulawayo-based recruitment agency, Cosmopolitan Eagle Company.
Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya lost US$1 630 after one Linah Mugondomukandapi misrepresented herself that she could assist Ngwenya to go abroad.
Cosmopolitan Eagle Company, operating from Pioneer House in Bulawayo, advertised itself as a reputable agency that could secure jobs, work permits, and travel documents for those seeking employment abroad.
Ngwenya said he and several others approached the agency with high hopes.
“I visited the company premises at Pioneer House and met Linah, who is the owner, and she told me everything about their services and how the process was being done.
She assured me that if I didn’t succeed, she was going to refund me,” Ngwenya said.
He paid US$1 230, including a US$1 000 application fee for a visa and US$230 for travel insurance, in May 2021.
However, after six months, when he was informed that his work permit was ready, he faced a setback at the Polish Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.
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Rejected for a visa, Ngwenya asked for a refund, only to be met with evasive responses from Linah.
“Just imagine I used US$400 to go to South Africa and back home. I got fed up, and Linah had also stopped answering my calls,” lamented Ngwenya.
The loss of US$1 630 and R1 800 left him in financial distress and strained relationships with friends and family.
Another anonymous victim revealed that she paid US$920 to Linah for visa processing, but only received US$95 back.
Yet another victim claimed to have lost US$1 300 after Linah misrepresented her chances of recruitment abroad.
Ngwenya and other victims turned to the authorities for help.
Linah neither confirmed nor denied the allegations against her, instead attributing visa success to chance and blaming the refund delays on international partners.
Fake employment agencies have become increasingly common, preying on the hopes and aspirations of innocent people.
In May, Bulawayo police arrested a couple who defrauded multiple job seekers of US$34 801 by promising employment opportunities in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
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