Once again, another group of Jamaicans, desperate to find work, have been swindled out of their money by some crook who claimed to be giving them jobs.

According to The Gleaner's lead story, the Area One Fraud Squad has launched a manhunt for a man who collected thousands of dollars from over 100 job seekers. The man is also alleged to have left behind several bad debts with business places.

The job seekers said they had paid $2,000 for uniforms and training. This scam follows another in St. Thomas which saw over 100 women being fleeced of money by persons who claimed they could provide them with jobs.

Desperate

There are far too many of these scams that are actually working, making it abundantly clear that there is a desperate shortage of jobs in the island. The shortage is so acute that job seekers do not seem wary of the possibility that the offers of jobs or training may be scams

It is clear that something must be done to generate more jobs, as this is a sure way to put a dent in this malicious and cruel activity.

The vast number of people who are being tricked definitely demonstrate that Jamaicans want to work and take care of their families, but the lack of opportunities is making this difficult to achieve.

Therefore, with all the promises made by the Government in its bid to win the elections, this is definitely one that we hope they will keep. They need to get the citizens good jobs so that they can stop losing money to criminals and start making money to care for their families.