Trust & safety
Recruitment Should Never Put You at Risk.
Protect yourself from recruitment scams and fraudulent job offers.
ElderBirch never charges job seekers. Not to register, apply or be contacted, and not for CVs, background checks, training or uniforms.
If a “recruiter” does any of these, stop
One red flag is enough. Real employers and real agencies don't work this way.
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They ask you for money
A “registration”, “application” or “admin” fee. Money for a uniform, training, a medical, a background or criminal check, a police clearance, a CV rewrite or “placement”. Legitimate recruiters are paid by the employer. In South Africa it is against the law to charge a work-seeker for an employment service (Employment Services Act, section 15).
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They want ID copies or bank details before a written offer
Your ID document, payslips and bank details are only needed by your new employer for payroll — after you have accepted a written offer. Scammers collect them to open accounts, take loans or SIM-swap in your name.
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They only talk on WhatsApp or Telegram
No company name you can check, no landline, no office — just a cellphone number, a voice note and a request to “add the HR manager” on Telegram or another app. Real recruiters can tell you who they are and where they work.
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The salary is too good to be true
R 25 000 a month for a general worker with no experience, “no interview needed”, or a job offered to you without you ever applying. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.
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They claim to recruit for government, SASSA, SAPS, Eskom or the IEC
Scammers borrow the names of government departments, SASSA, the police, Eskom and the Electoral Commission because people trust them. Real public-sector posts are advertised on the organisation's own website and, for national and provincial departments, in the DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular — and they never charge you to apply.
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They rush you
“Pay today or lose your place.” “Only three spots left.” Pressure is how scammers stop you from checking. Take the time to verify — a real opportunity will still be there tomorrow.
What ElderBirch will never do
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We never charge job seekers
Registering, being listed, being contacted, applying and being placed are free — always. It is the law (Employment Services Act 4 of 2014, section 15) and it is how we work.
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We have one WhatsApp number
Our only WhatsApp number is 067 031 2470. Emails come from elderbirch@outlook.com or our automatic notifications address noreply@elderbirch.co.za. Anyone using another number “for ElderBirch” is not us.
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We never move you to Telegram
We don't ask you to continue on Telegram or any other app, to “add a manager”, or to join a group to receive a job.
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We never ask for your bank details
We ask for your ID number once, when you register, to confirm who you are. It is encrypted and only ElderBirch staff can see it — employers never do. We don't ask for ID copies or bank details: your employer asks for those after you accept a written offer.
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We never charge for an interview
Nobody pays to be interviewed or to “confirm a slot” — not with ElderBirch and not with an employer on this website. When we set up an interview, you get the company name and address in advance so you can check them first.
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We check what is posted here
Vacancies containing words often used in scams (fees, deposits, Telegram, bank details) are held until we have reviewed them, and every listing has a report button that comes straight to us.
R 250 is for employers only
R 250 a month is the price of Employer Access: a subscription that companies pay to see candidates' full profiles and contact details, message them and post vacancies.
It is paid only by companies, normally by card through PayFast from their own employer dashboard on this website. Job seekers never pay it — or anything else.
We know R 250 is also the amount used in the best-known fake-job scam. That is exactly why we spell it out: if anyone asks you, a job seeker, to pay R 250 — or any amount — “for ElderBirch”, it is a scam. Please report it to us.
Seen something suspicious? Tell someone
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On this website
Every vacancy, candidate profile and company page has a Report link at the bottom. Reports go straight to ElderBirch and are checked by a person. A vacancy reported by 3 different people is hidden automatically while we investigate.
Browse vacancies -
Tell ElderBirch
Someone used our name, our logo or a fake ElderBirch number? Send us a screenshot and the number they used.
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The South African Police Service
If you paid money, sent documents or were threatened, open a case at your nearest police station. Take screenshots of the messages, the phone numbers and your proof of payment. You can also call SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
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The Department of Employment and Labour
Recruiters and agencies that charge work-seekers fees can be reported to the Department of Employment and Labour at your nearest labour centre. Details are on www.labour.gov.za.
Already paid?
Contact your bank or the money-transfer service straight away — sometimes a payment can still be stopped. Don't send more money to “release” a refund, and report the advert on the platform where you saw it (Facebook, WhatsApp, a classifieds site) so others are protected.
A quick check before any interview
Five minutes of checking can save you money, documents and a wasted trip.
- Search the company name. A real business has a website, a landline or a physical address you can confirm.
- Call the company on a number you found yourself — not the number in the message — and ask whether the vacancy exists.
- Never pay to apply, to be interviewed, or to “confirm” a slot.
- Take copies of your documents, not the originals, and don't hand over copies until you have a written offer.
- Tell someone where you are going, and meet only at business premises or on a video call.
- For government posts, check the department's own website or the DPSA vacancy circular.
Looking for work?
Join a recruitment database that never asks you for money
Register free, keep your CV up to date and let employers find you. You can delete your profile at any time.