Editorial
Let’s be vigilant to prevent being victims of job scams
The public has been cautioned by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) to be careful of the new tactics being used in employment scams.
The Authority claims that more and more examples of job scams involving victims who lost a significant amount of money are being reported.
Typically, scammers send unsolicited messages using email, Telegram, WhatsApp, and SMS, among other channels.
These scammers impersonate recruiters and promise high-paying, remote or part-time jobs involving digital tasks such as liking social media or clicking on a link.
Numerous people have been duped by these scammers, who first entice their victims with small amounts in exchange for larger sums of money after the victims are locked out of their accounts.
The quicker this concerning tendency is addressed, the better, as it will protect the wallets of job seekers who are in a dire situation.
In relation to employment scams is the problem of cyberattacks. Organisations in the internet age mostly depend on information technology (IT) infrastructure to protect them against cyberattacks, which is why cybersecurity is so important.
Cyber security is the process of safeguarding computer systems and networks against unauthorised access or being otherwise damaged.
Cyber security is crucial because it protects people and organisations from cyberattacks and the loss or theft of sensitive data.
Because of this, businesses, governments, and private citizens are making significant investments in cyber security to safeguard their data and assets from hackers; yet, the risk of cybercrime is rising quickly.
Also, hackers now manage to obtain unauthorised access to Facebook accounts, hinder individuals from accessing their own accounts, and utilise these accounts to secretly raise money.
Another worrying development is that some hackers have been calling victims’ phone numbers and tricking them into updating their WhatsApp accounts in order to obtain personal information that they can use for other schemes, such as Momo fraud.
The Spectator urges the public to exercise caution and distrust high-paying occupations that require little effort. The best way to avoid employment frauds is to double-check job postings.
Sometimes a scam can be easily identified because of the numerous grammatical, typographical, and consistency flaws in the messages.
Certain organisations clearly specify that applicants should not submit any payment at all throughout the hiring process therefore jobseekers who are asked to pay an employer before being hired should be cautious about such practices.
Let’s all exercise caution to stop these scammers and hackers from doing their business.
Editorial
Kudos to Ho Teaching Hospital staff, but …
Dear Editor,
If there is any group of professionals that get bad-mouthed the most, then you are referring to nurses and medical doctors assigned to public hospitals across the country.
For this particular letter, I want to sing the praises of this same group of professionals that work at the Ho Teaching Hospital, famously known as Trafalgar.
Despite the work load and the mass casualties received at the emergency ward of the hospital, the welcoming nature of the nurses and the professional touch by the doctors can’t be ignored. My personal experience has got me travelling from my base in Accra to seek medical services from these professionals.
Special mention has to be made of the likes of Precious of the Pharmacy Department, Dr Brandon Banor (a maxillofacial resident) of the Dental unit, male nurse Justice assigned to the female surgical ward. Words cannot really do justice to their affable, professional caring nature. A simple thank you is all that I can say.
In the same vein, I can’t but call out the bad attitude of the auxiliary staff and contractors of the hospital.
Chief among them is some of the contracted bank staff that handle the payment section of the hospital and the patient registration section (those that check the status of the patient as to whether they are fee paying patients or NHIS sponsored).
The attitude at times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One such occurrence was a night staff of the registration section who had her legs on the office table whilst talking to patients.
The CEO of the hospital needs to shine his torch light on this support sections before they erode the awesome performance of the direct medical staff of the hospital.
Thank you for the space.
Kwesi Manu
Accra
Editorial
Develop policies to address disability concerns
Dear Editor,
AT the beginning of the year, when I went to the bank to deposit money into my uncle’s account, I observed a very sad situation where a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate his way around the facility.
This is because the structure is disability unfriendly.
As I stood and watched how the man struggled to move his wheelchair, I felt sad and wondered if this is how the life of a disabled person should be. It becomes worse if there is no one to offer help.
In Ghana, People With Disabilities (PWDs) are often treated differently and are often subjected to all forms of discrimination.
Most of these people find themselves in such a situation as a result of unfortunate happenings such as accidents and injuries.
It is, therefore, not appropriate for anyone to discriminate against them. Discrimination against such persons take many forms, including how buildings are constructed.
Most of the public structures are not disability friendly and impede their movement.
As a country, we should consider the PWDs in designing our structures. I also think that there should be a national policy that seeks to address this issue.
I have a strong conviction that when such a policy is developed by the government, people with disabilities would feel appreciated and also promote social inclusivity.
Ray,
Kasoa
