Several job seekers have fallen victims to tricksters advertising non-existent vacancies and fake employments. The situation continues to pose a challenge to Nigeria’s labour market.
Consumertrics‘ finding has revealed a nexus between the national unemployment rate, which is at an unprecedented peak its peak and the increasing job fraud in the country. Moreover, job fraud is more prevalent in semi-urban and urban cities, where there are job opportunities, than they are in rural or semi-rural areas.
How Job scammers operate
Job scammers employ various methods of ensnare their victims. These are:
- Short Message Services (SMS)
- Poster adverts.
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WhatsApp (link)
How to avoid job scammers
- Do due diligence by searching the internet for available information on the specific job provider
- Verify job openings before you apply.
- Visit the official website for the organization or company you are applying for. Some organisations’ websites have a “career opportunities” or “jobs” section, check if there are available vacancies.
- While doing an internet search, try to know what others are saying about the company. Include in your search of the company such word like “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.”
- Don’t pay for the promise of a job, because genuine employers will never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does so is a scammer.
- Check if the company has social media pages. Scour the comments section to see whether anyone is inquiring any opening in the company.
- It is a red flag, if the recruiting firm does not have a customized email
- Beware of any WhatApp link directing you to sign up for a job
