Have you ever been scammed?

Have you ever been scammed for a job?

#thread

So the other week, a really close colleague called me about an Economist role with @USAID in the Uganda office.

He asked if I know a dude called David Barigye PhD

His name rang a bell, but the Barigye i know is an Engineer who does not work in Uganda anymore.

Anyways, my colleague AM shared my contacts with Dr. Barigye who called me asking for my email address.

My first worry was that he did not sound like how many other Barigyes sound. (But I let it go, so basically nothing to worry about)

He shared the JD which had a shadily done USAID Uganda logo (Something to worry about) and some very well crafted roles and responsibilities there in.

I then shared my CV and he called back saying he likes what he sees and we should have a meeting at the @usmissionuganda in Nsambya the next day at 11.00am

I said I am good to go and he further says he needs to put me on the invite list and that would require a certificate of good conduct from Interpol in Uganda

At once the alarm bells rang in my head

I asked how much this would cost and he told me a polite 150$

I told him okay, is it possible to do a work around

Dr. Barigye then said he knows a guy who works in the Interpol office who helps his guys all the time.

He texted a number for a dude called Col. Aloisi Omakol

On calling Col. Omakol, he said he knew David from @USAID and that if I had 350,000/- UGX, he would do it for me in the next 45 or so minutes

But since I was supposed to meet him the next day at 11.00am, it would be better to be wrapped up today.

Since he was about to leave the office

The alarm bells went off again and I just chuckled to myself

I calmly called my colleague AM who referred me the gig.

He was in/on a Zoom meeting and he asked me to text.

I did so and he warned me not to pay and he would ask the @USAID Team he had met and get back to me

I also contacted some of my trusted crew who confirmed to me that it is a shady scam move

Because they have been to Interpol before and that bill should be at most 80,000/- UGX and is paid into the bank branch situated nearby

And also, all @USAID roles are advertised on their website or via the @usmissionuganda website

And that you only need the certificate from @Interpol when they confirm you for a role and on top of that, they pay for it themselves

One guy told me to call Dr. David back and let him know I have secured the Interpol Certificate and will email it to him in a little while

I called Dr. David back and he has never picked the phone

Once my colleague AM got out of the Zoom meeting, he called and said to me he had never seen guys look for an Economist so urgently

Whatever you get from this thread, one thing is certain, white collar crime is no joke

The levels of desperation in the economy ain't any easier.

#KampalaIsNoJoke
#StaySafe

~END