Government has cautioned desperate job seekers to be cautious of the activities of QNET, an international e-commerce based direct selling company which claims to offer jobs outside Ghana.

Deputy Information Minister, Fatimatu Abubakar, speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Sunday, noted that victims of QNET have suffered heinous conditions over non-existing jobs.

“Victims are lured into lucrative non-existing jobs but end up entrapped in the operations of a network marketing company, QNET. Upon arrival in these countries, the victims are stripped off their valuables, held hostage under squalid conditions and forced to commit to QNET services by signing a contract under duress. The only way for victims to gain their freedom is to be compelled to lure others into the business,” she said.

She revealed that government is liaising with law enforcement agencies in Mali to rescue Ghanaians lured into QNET activities in Mali.

“Checks have revealed that some Ghanaians are caught up in several QNET facilities across Mali. Consequently, the Ghanaian Mission in Bamako is liaising with the law enforcement agencies in Mali to rescue Ghanaians forcibly engaged in QNET activities in Mali,” she said.

According to her, other nationals of African countries like Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroun have fallen victim to the scam by similar syndicates in Ghana.

“There have been reports of similar syndicates operating in Ghana, particularly in Pokuase and Amasaman, who convince Nigerians, Beninois, Burkinabes and Camerounians to come to Ghana on the pretext of securing jobs for them,” she added.

In July this year, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame petitioned the commercial division of the Accra High Court to dissolve QNET marketing company and accused it of operating as a Ponzi scheme.

The Attorney General in its petition said, “Investigations by the National Security Council Secretariat disclosed that the respondent, (QNET), operates in a manner akin to a Ponzi scheme by luring clients to make deposits and investments with them which they eventually lose.”

It added that, “The respondent (QNET) lures unsuspecting members of the public to pay the sum of about GH¢5,000 for the purpose of placing them in various jobs which turned out to be a hoax.”

The petition was filed under the Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Act, 2020 (Act 1015).