Fake jobs lure Namibian youth into trafficking

Traffickers are luring desperate young jobseekers with fake vacancies for jobs in Namibia and abroad and forcing them into scam compounds to run online fraud schemes.

That warning came from Otjozondjupa Regional Council chairperson Paulus Nekundi, speaking at Friday's commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Grootfontein.

Nekundi said fake job adverts are a key recruitment tool for traffickers. Victims who respond can find themselves trapped in illegal compounds and coerced into running romance scams and other cybercrimes.

Once inside, victims are entrapped through violence, quotas and debt bondage, he said.

The warning comes against the backdrop of several cases already reported in Namibia.

In August 2025, police said six trafficking cases recorded between 2022 and 2025 involved 38 Namibians recruited through social media to work outside the country. Police also reported a separate incident involving 50 victims recruited to work within Namibia.

More recently, official reports in July said 50 young Namibians were recruited into an alleged romance-scam operation in Windhoek, with some reportedly believing they had secured legitimate jobs. The recruits were allegedly trained to create fake social media identities and target people online.

Growing hotspot

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has identified Namibia as part of the growing global scam-centre trafficking problem. It reported that an operation in Namibia in 2024 uncovered a scam centre where 88 youths were reportedly forced to conduct online scams.

Nekundi said unemployment and poverty increase vulnerability to traffickers, who also use dating apps and online advertisements to target women, girls and men.

He warned that trafficking does not necessarily involve strangers or cross-border movement, saying perpetrators may also be relatives, friends or acquaintances of victims.

Police statistics have shown that Namibia recorded 10 new trafficking cases between March 2025 and April 2026.

Nekundi said Namibia has strengthened its response through the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2018 and a National Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Persons for 2023 to 2027.

He called for greater public awareness, improved victim support, stronger data collection and cooperation between law enforcement agencies to tackle the problem.

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