The SABC is warning people not to fall for fake talent seeking and audition scams targeting and using the names of the public broadcaster's shows.
The SABC took the step to try and stem the tide of fake audition calls flooding the industry, especially targeting kids and young people.
Scam artists are now going so far as providing fake SABC employees contact details to try and get access to venues like school halls for free to run bogus auditions where kids and parents who are asked to make cash payments upfront are conned out of thousands of rand.
Payments for auditions is never something that happens at a legitimate casting and audition session.
Last week the SABC's Venda soap, Muvhango, yet again had to warn people about another new fake audition scam.
The SABC's audition scam warning comes a week after MultiChoice warned against fake recruitment ads and agencies and said that DStv will never send a chauffeur to pick someone up to drive them to a job interview to work in a call centre.
Similar to audition scams conning people out of money, fake recruitment ads and cons have flooded social media in South Africa, using the brands of big-name companies like MultiChoice, Telkom, FNB, Absa and others to prey on naive and unsuspecting victims and desperate job seekers.
The SABC says its issuing its alert to "all children and caregivers to be careful of bogus casting agencies which are claiming to come from SABC shows like YO.TV, Hectic Nine-9, Muvhango, Generations, Skeem Saam and Isidingo".
"These fraudulent agencies are charging children and parents money for 'shoots', and then disappear with the victims' money."
The SABC says the South African public should always verify the authenticity of any TV auditions for SABC shows by making contact with Thando Matshalilanga on 011 714 5759 and email matshalilanga@sabc.co.za; or Thabile Makgobotlwana at 011 714 7507 and makgobotlwanati@sabc.co.za
