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Israel job scam: Ugandans lose Shs940m in elusive ‘Promised Land’
Mr Simon Mundeyi, the Internal Affairs spokesperson, displays Ugandan passports at the ministry’s headquarters last year. PHOTO | FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
- In recent years, numerous schemes have defrauded Ugandans of billions of shillings.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has revealed that at least 43 Ugandans have been defrauded of Shs943m in fake job recruitment scams for positions in Israel.
The victims were each asked to pay Shs22 million to secure these supposed jobs, which were advertised by a fraudulent online company, Akia Guest Tours Limited, allegedly run by Ugandans, whose names we have withheld.
In an interview with this publication, Mr Simon Mundeyi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said these individuals promised people lucrative job opportunities with the Israeli government and other countries in Europe.
“These individuals promised lucrative jobs in Israel where victims would earn Shs22m every month. To secure these jobs, the fraudsters asked them to pay Shs22m each and then they disappeared. We have tried to locate their premises, but they are nowhere to be found at Rubaga Cathedral,” he said.
“While the company claimed to be located at Rubaga Cathedral, crime intelligence and detectives have failed to identify the exact building housing Akia Guest Tours Ltd,” Mr Mundeyi said.
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In response, joint security forces have launched a manhunt for the fraudsters after the victims, defrauded of a total of Shs943m, sought help from the ministry.
“We have put [their] pictures in every system to ensure they are arrested and do not escape their criminal activities. We are searching for them and have notified our teams to be on high alert,” Mr Mundeyi said.
The Internal Affairs Ministry also revealed that investigations have shown that the female suspect served as the manager, while the male suspect was presented as a co-founder.
“Further intelligence suggests that [male] recently obtained a US visa, possibly to flee the country,” he said.
Recent scams
In recent years, numerous schemes have defrauded Ugandans of billions of shillings, including the BLQ sports betting scam in 2022 and last year, Capital Chicken SMC Limited absconded with clients’ money.
Prior to that, Telexfree, a pyramid scheme, left many Ugandans counting losses. Telexfree, which began in 2013, sold a voice-over-internet-protocol telephone service similar to Skype.
In 2019, Dunamiscoins Resources Ltd, a company registered within the country’s financial system, left both customers and staff shocked when it was revealed that the company was bankrupt.
In 2007, a non-profit organisation Caring for Orphans, Widows, and the Elderly (COWE) defrauded Ugandans of billions of shillings. The company operated as a bank or microfinance institution and conducted marketing campaigns across the country.
