A scam involving tricksters claiming to be Department of Labour officials requesting burial fees from employers of domestic workers has hit the Free State, the department said on Wednesday.

Departmental spokesperson Page Boikanyo said the scam hit the Welkom area during the week and was similar to cases reported in Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Durban, among other areas, earlier this year.

The tricksters would demand R3000 from the employer of a domestic worker to be paid into a bank account to allow for the transportation of the body of a "deceased" domestic worker.

The scam was revealed when one employer phoned another employer of the "deceased" domestic worker to enquire about her only to hear the "dead" worker answer the phone.

Boikanyo urged the public to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police.

Sapa