Abuja Job Scammers on a Roll

Career News - The Nigerian scam style known as "419 fraud" has lately found its way into the labour market too. The modes employed by these scammers are numerous. Like genuine employees, they go to the extent of advertising in different media, embark on recruitment processes and even proceed to issue employment letters; all to convince unsuspecting applicants that the deal is real.

In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, such escapades abound. The story of Mr Anthony Anugwu, who was arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for an alleged job fraud totaling N2.390 million is one of the very many examples.

As reported by the Sunday Trust of May 22, 2011, Mr Anugwu was arrested by operatives of the anti-graft at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja during a smart operation.

The suspect was alleged to have defrauded an unemployed lady, Ms Enobong Udungwo to the tune of N2.3 million under the pretext of getting a job placement for her at ECOWAS secretariat or Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

Ms. Udongwo had, in a petition to the commission, alleged that Mr Anthony Anugwu whom she met in 2009 told her that he was a Major in the Nigerian Army and has contacts with ECOWAS and CBN and could get a job for her in either of the organizations.

Like Anugwu, there are lots of other scammers operating within the FCT: a place they seem to consider a gold mine due to the rush into the cosmopolitan city.

Ms. Enobong claim to have paid the fake Army Major the sum of N2.1million in three installments: N600, 000. 00, N650,000. 00 and N850, 000.00 respectively.

In a similar development, sometimes in September 2010, the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) raised an alarm over a scam involving employment into the company. The conman behind the saga was a self acclaimed engineer who posed as a Resource Manager with Shell.

Many people were reportedly swindled through the said scam, especially fresh graduates who were looking for jobs. Some of these candidates paid as much as N150,000 each only to get fake employment letters.

Those interviewed waited with frustration while the said engineer and his syndicate kept demanding more money which the victims paid into different bank accounts. It was later discovered after investigations that even the reference name: George Amakiri, was not the real name of the leader of the syndicate, Justice Ngozi Walison Ajanaku exposed.

Another common Abuja job scam style is that which the scammers advertise non-existing jobs in national dailies, especially Tuesday Guardian and Job in websites. They also sometimes use posters and other outdoor signs to advice the nonexistent vacancies. Under this method they usually ask applicants to send their CVs along with their applications to a given e-mail address. The e-mail almost immediately receives a feedback with the applicant being invited for an aptitude test or oral interview on a particular date and venue (usually an office address, a shop or a public event place). Hence, the applicant is asked to pay some money to receive a posting or employment form.

Shola James, a 29-year-old graduate reeled his experience thus: "I was invited for such an interview at a hotel in Wuse, Zone 6, they said we should not worry about writing the test, instead, that we should just submit our credentials (photocopies). After submission, they said we should pay some money into a Zenith bank account and come with the teller for further processing. Some of us paid but some people refused to pay. As I am talking to you, nothing came out of it. Nobody got anything. It was just a risk we took by paying the 6,500. A lot of people were there and they paid.’"

James had other experiences having been a victim severally. “Some of them refine their method by claiming that they will only recommend you to any prospective employer and that they are not a recruitment agency. They are all the same job scammers.’’ Though he said he has learnt his lessons the hard way, he warned that most of their targets are people that are about to pass out of the NYSC programme.

Weekly Trust was able to track down one of such fake agencies in the capital city.

The purported recruitment agency asked this reporter to pay a consultation and administrative fee of 2,500 before he is attended to. The setting was a small rickety business center in Area 10, Abuja yet the man assured of better places.

"We have openings for drivers, cooks, office attendants, clerks etc. But the arrangement is that when you secure the employment, we would be receiving 40% of your salary for four months directly from the source who is our client in the first place. Ours is different, you don’t pay until you get the job. Alternatively, if you can pay us 30% of your three months salary, then you pick the job and enjoy yourself.’"

Reacting to the issue, the Head of Administration of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbuaja confirmed they are aware of such activities which he described as illegal and clear criminality. He told Weekly Trust on phone that for any outfit or a person to recruit anyone for employment, there must be a license issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour. He however said it is on record that the ministry has not issued such licenses in the last four to five years, so anybody involved in such operations within that period is a clear case of fraud.

"There are a lot of them in town parading themselves as recruitment agencies but the truth is that they do not have the legitimate license to run such outfits."

He however said for those that recruit and collect percentage, it is a case of outsourcing which is legal as long as the agent is licensed.

"Yes you can outsource some part of your operations. In this case, the agent can hire people based on the company’s requirement and bargain with the employees, say 30,000.00 and then charge the organization say 60,000.00 for example. A case of 50-50.There is nothing wrong with that if you are licensed to do so and so long as you signed a contract paper with the employee. But the point here is that, a lot of those who do that presently are not licensed but government is just shying away from the issue."

However, there are other reputable and licensed recruitment agencies in the FCT that are also worried by the activities of these fraudulent agents who they believe are tarnishing the image of their profession.
From: Nigeria Daily Trust