Job scam warning signs in Nigeria

A warning sign is a reason to slow down and verify. It is not, on its own, proof that a person or company is fraudulent. The safest approach is to test the vacancy, the organisation, the recruiter and the requested action as separate pieces of evidence.

Verify the vacancy independently

Do not begin with the link inside a surprise message. Search for the employer’s official website yourself, open its careers page, and look for the same title, location and job reference. If the company uses an external hiring platform, the official careers page should normally lead to it or name it.

Compare the application destination carefully. A lookalike domain can change one letter, add a hyphen or use an unrelated form provider. A secure HTTPS connection only means the connection is encrypted; it does not prove the organisation behind the site is genuine.

Check the organisation and recruiter

For Nigerian entities, the Corporate Affairs Commission provides an official company search. Registration does not prove that a particular job is genuine, but it can help you confirm whether the claimed organisation exists and whether its name matches the message.

Check whether the recruiter appears on the employer’s official site or established company profile. A company-domain email, consistent employment history and a verified platform identity are useful signals. Their absence is not automatic proof of fraud, especially for small businesses, but it means you need stronger confirmation through another channel.

Treat these requests as high risk

• Paying an application, interview, placement, equipment-release or training fee to secure the role.
• Sending bank credentials, one-time passwords or card details during recruitment.
• Receiving a cheque or transfer and being told to send part of the money elsewhere.
• Moving immediately to a private channel while the sender avoids verifiable company contact.
• Sending identity documents to an address you have not independently confirmed.
• Accepting an offer without a credible interview, written terms or an identifiable employer.
• Acting under extreme time pressure or secrecy.

Legitimate recruitment can move quickly, and employers may need identity or bank information later for a real employment process. The question is whether the request is appropriate for the current stage and whether the recipient has been verified.

A five-minute safety sequence

1. Find the official employer site independently.
2. Confirm the vacancy and application destination.
3. Verify the recruiter through a second channel.
4. Check the company name in an appropriate official register.
5. Refuse payment and protect sensitive credentials.

If you have already shared a password, change it anywhere it was reused and enable multi-factor authentication. If you shared banking or payment information, contact the relevant financial institution through its official channel. Preserve the message, address, payment request and vacancy URL before reporting it to the platform or relevant authority.

SalaryPadi’s scam checker is a decision aid, not a guarantee. It explains which answers increase risk and encourages independent verification; it never labels an unreviewed person or company as fraudulent.