PRASA Warns of Fake Bus Driver Job Listings
Scammers are posing as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to lure applicants into paying bogus fees and handing over personal information.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Job Search
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The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has warned the public about fake job listings impersonating the agency for bus driver and cleaner positions. The listings direct applicants to a website and WhatsApp number and urge them to apply before a deadline later this week.
Why it matters
Criminals use fake job adverts to steal sensitive personal information for crimes such as identity theft, or to extract money directly through bogus fees. PRASA says it never charges fees for job applications and posts all its vacancies on its official website and verified social media channels.
PRASA's warning cites 17 new buses recently added under the City-to-City brand, a reminder of the agency's genuine hiring footprint against which the fake listings were circulated. The number of applicants who have been targeted or defrauded has not been disclosed.
The players
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
PRASA is the state-owned entity responsible for operating passenger rail and bus services across South Africa.
The details
The fake listings, shared as an image, impersonate PRASA and advertise bus driver and cleaner positions. Victims are typically approached through social media and then led through a series of bogus charges, such as finder's fees, administration fees, or costs for uniforms or training, until the payment can no longer be reversed.
Timeline
9 November 2026: PRASA publishes its warning about the fake job listings on its official social media accounts.
Later this week: The application deadline stated in the fake listings.
Market Landscape
Fraudulent recruitment posing as state employers is a recurring pattern in South Africa, where close to a third of adults are unemployed and job seekers are especially exposed to fake offers. PRASA's public disavowal places the warning within a wider effort by state entities to protect applicants from such schemes.
Job seekers should apply only through PRASA's official website or verified social media channels, and should never pay a fee to apply for a position. Anyone who has already sent money or personal details should contact the agency directly to report the approach.
The takeaway
Legitimate employers, including PRASA, do not charge applicants for jobs or training. Checking that a vacancy appears on an official website before applying is the simplest protection against this kind of fraud.
Further reading
For more on recognising fraudulent vacancies, see Job Search in South Africa.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Htxt.
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