As the rate of unemployment continues to rise in Nigeria, so does the surge in fake jobs. A fake or scam job vacancy is an illegitimate job that cannot be verified. The masterminds behind these fake jobs entice naive and unsuspecting job seekers who are eager to finally earn a living for themselves.
Some of these fake recruiters intend to swindle job seekers out of their money, while others go so far as to harm or kill them.
An example is the story of Iniobong Umoren, who was raped and murdered in Uyo after she was lured under the disguise of a job interview.
To avoid falling victim to these scammers and fake job posters, here are some ways to identify a fake job vacancy.
1. The company has no online presence
We live in a digital world where we live and breathe on the internet. A job or company that lacks an online presence (website, social media, or LinkedIn) is a scam job.
A quick Google search should help you know if a job is legitimate or not. Failure to bring up any queries should give you the answer you need. Some scammers now go the extra length of creating a website and social media; however, if there is no concrete information there, it may be a fake job vacancy.
2. You didn’t apply for the job
Have you ever received a text message or email for a job interview that left you wondering when you applied for the job? Well, your guess is as good as mine; it is most definitely a scam job.
A genuine job or company will reach out to you via their company e-mail, call, and then follow up with a text message scheduling you for an interview. Sending just an SMS is a major red flag.
A typical example of such an invitation would read, ‘You have been scheduled for an interview at No. 9, Adetona Street, Ikeja, on May 5, 2021.’ Call this number, 080xxxxxxxx, and come along with your CV. If you get this kind of invite, best believe it is a fake job.
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3. The venue
The company’s venue is an important way to detect a fake job. Even though there are lots of job interviews conducted via Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, etc, there are still several interviews that take place physically.
Many job seekers have shared stories of how they knew the job was fake on arrival at the interview venue. If the interview is in an odd place or you are taken to a different venue, you should be worried.
The people (staff) you meet at the venue should also give you a clue as to whether it is real or fake. Being physically at the venue will show you a lot of signs that you should pay attention to.
4. The e-mail is unprofessional
Legitimate companies usually have their company domain email, e.g., info@fabwoman.ng. If you get a message from a company using the general email ending in @gmail.com, that’s a sign that it is a fake job.
Furthermore, pay attention to the content of the e-mail for obvious grammatical and spelling errors.
5. You are told to pay an amount of money
Any job that requires you to pay a certain sum of money before you are employed is a scam. Some of these fraudulent recruiters may tell you to pay a certain amount of money as a registration or commitment fee before the job offer is completed.
The only exceptions here are if you are working with a career recruiter, and even in this case, recruiters get their money only after you have been hired.
6. The offer is too good to be true
If you see a job posting where the pay is not commensurate with the company’s brand or your experience, e.g., a small company wants to pay you N500,000 as a graduate trainee, then you should be wary.
A lot of fake recruiters use this technique as bait to attract unsuspecting job seekers who are enticed by such offers.
Remember the saying, ‘If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
7. You are employed immediately
A credible job usually has a time frame for employment. A job posting usually has several candidates who have applied. Each candidate would then go through a rigorous process of interview(s) before a job offer comes through.
If a job offer comes immediately, the likelihood of it being fake is quite high.
To sum up, to avoid scammers, you must be vigilant and perceptive. Here are a few things to take note of before attending that job interview.
- Research the company to be sure it’s genuine
- Don’t pay money for a job
- Avoid giving out personal information
- Use only trusted job platforms, e.g., Jobberman, Hot Nigerian Jobs, and My JobMag, for your job search
- Be vigilant and trust your guts