MUKONO, UGANDA: The Police at Naggalama Division in Mukono has arrested an 18-year-old man on allegations of luring female job seekers and later raping them through a Facebook job scam.
The suspect has been identified as Lubega Ashraf a resident of Katosi village, Kisoga sub-county in Mukono district who mainly dwelled in the areas of Mukono and Kayunga where he executed his acts of sexual violence.
According to Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga, Lubega is alleged to have created an online Medical job page, called Medical Scrub Uganda, where he called himself Dr Ronnie, and lured female applicants or job seekers promising them lucrative medical jobs.
Enanga explains that the suspect after luring the female victims on Facebook, he would briefly interview them and thereafter schedule a meeting to discuss the terms and conditions.
“For instance, on March 11, 2023, he interviewed a 24-year-old midwife from Kireka in Kampala district and invited her to Ntunda village, Ntunda Parish in Mukono district, where he turned against her in a busy area and raped her,” Enanga said while addressing journalists on Monday morning.
Enanga said that the suspect was tracked down by the Crime Intelligence and Flying Squad teams and arrested after one of the victims reported the matter to the concerned authorities.
“During our interrogation, the suspect admitted to having lured, robbed and raped many unsuspecting members of the public, with medical backgrounds, as a result of the Facebook page scam,” added Enanga.
Describing the suspect as an 18-year-old peasant without any medical background, Enanga said that the job seekers ought to have been inquisitive and find out more about the suspect before meeting him.
“How can one be a doctor at 18 years? That alone should have sent a warning to the job seekers that he was a quack. We need to be vigilant to avoid being lured by such criminals.”
He, therefore, warned young girls to be extra cautious when in search for jobs, especially on social media platforms to avoid falling prey to fraudsters and other criminals who might deceive them for their own selfish interests.
“We would like to warn young girls and females to be extra cautious when transacting business or searching for jobs on digital or social media platforms. Job seekers are particularly vulnerable to online job scammers, who create websites.”
“It is, therefore, important to research the employer online, before applying for a job, avoid lone meetings with strangers, and never send money to anyone you meet online. It is also crucial to confirm the employer identity with an in-person interview or a video call,” remarked Enanga.
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