A bogus website is luring desperate job-seekers to a non-existent medical facility, supposedly under the auspices of a healthcare group, but using the address of a housing estate in La Lucia, Umhlanga.
The Sunday Tribune reports that management at the Ilala Ridge Estate alerted it to a website belonging to a fictitious company called Eamed Healthcare Group, with head offices apparently in White River, Mpumalanga.
The website of the healthcare group claims to have three hospitals under its ownership: La Lucia Private Hospital, Louwsburg Private Hospital and Berea Private Hospital.
The facilities offered by the purported La Lucia Private Hospital include a 24-hour emergency department, labour ward, surgical ward, neonatal intensive care unit, day ward and private suites, while services range from general surgeons and neurologists to plastic surgeons. Its existence purportedly dates as far back as November 2019. The site also offered several job opportunities and their closing dates.
Louie Fourie, manager of the Ilala Ridge Estate, said the address on the group’s website was that of the estate, and there was no medical practice nearby. He said people claiming they were due for an interview or a doctor’s visit at the aforementioned address had been turned away many times.
“Applicants for jobs are asked to submit their verified documents on to the group’s system, after which they receive a call and are asked to pay R3,000 to secure the position. They are then given a date and address for the interview, while patients needing medical treatment go through a registration process that consists of a call from the hospital before admission, and are also advised to first make a payment. But when they get here they find a housing complex,” Fourie said.
He had made various attempts to stop the scam.
“I have reported it to Google to have the address removed, and the people defrauded have to lay a charge. Until people open a case, all I can do is to try to get the information removed from the internet,” he said.
The website is constantly updated, giving the impression of a fully functional platform.
Sunday Tribune article – Beware of this hospital scam (Open access)
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