THE ARREST of 33-year-old Sylvester Victor Augustus for allegedly cloning the Department of State Services (DSS) website and posting a fake recruitment notice has highlighted the alarming rise of recruitment scams in Nigeria.
Augustus, a blogger and content creator from Abak Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, was apprehended by DSS operatives at his residence on January 9, 2024.
The DSS reported that Augustus created the fake online recruitment notice to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians desperate for employment opportunities.
In response, the agency tagged the notice as “FAKE” and warned the public to be cautious of fraudsters exploiting the country’s high unemployment rate.
The DSS has urged Nigerians to be vigilant, emphasizing the importance of verifying job offers through official channels.
“We advise the public to always confirm recruitment notices from our verified platforms and not to engage with unauthorized websites,” the agency said.
The Explainer gathered that Augustus, who claims to be a graduate of the University of Uyo, would soon be arraigned in court. This incident underscores how the country’s alarming unemployment crisis has created a breeding ground for fraudulent job postings and scams.
Experts attributed the increasing unemployment to the unprecedented rise in fake jobs and cybercrime.
Nigeria’s unemployment rate has reached unprecedented levels in recent years, making job seekers increasingly vulnerable to scams. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the unemployment rate for Q2 2024 was 4.3 per cent, showing an increase of 0.1 percentage point compared to the same period the previous year. with youth unemployment surging to 6.5%. These figures reflect the grim reality for millions of Nigerians seeking gainful employment.
This desperation has made many Nigerians easy targets for recruitment scams. Fraudsters often capitalize on the allure of fake job offers, promising lucrative roles while demanding upfront payments for processing fees, training, or application forms.
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The Explainer reported that a fake Federal Civil Service recruitment campaign was circulated in 2024.
The recruitment which was shared across social media platforms and blogs promised opportunities from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
In July of the same year, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered that an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mrs Tosin Olagunju be remanded in Suleja prison in Niger State for obtaining N12,400,000.00 from job seekers under false pretence, with the promise that she can secure them employment.
