How Desperation Turns Nigerian Job Seekers Into Scam Targets By Tahir Ahmad
“Hear this: recruitment is not conducted on social media. If you see a post on Instagram, TikTok, or WhatsApp claiming to offer Customs jobs, it’s fake.”
That was one of the striking lines from an AI-generated video I stumbled upon last weekend. That was while browsing the internet. It came from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), speaking directly and in plain language to Nigerians about its recruitment process.
But while the video itself was clear and timely, it points to something much bigger than Customs’ recruitment alone. It reflects a national problem that is being fuelled by unemployment, exploited by scammers, and made worse by communication gaps in government.
In Nigeria today, recruitment scams have become a thriving shadow economy. Every year, thousands of job seekers fall prey to fraudsters posing as government officials, agency insiders, or connected middlemen.
The promise is always the same: pay a fee, hand over your personal details, and your “slot” will be guaranteed. The reality is that the money disappears, the “connection” vanishes, and the applicant is left not just without a job but often stripped of hope. But the desperation problem is not unique to Customs.
In the recent Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) joint recruitment exercise conducted for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Federal Fire Service, an astonishing 1.9 million Nigerians applied for just 30,000 available positions across the paramilitary agencies.
That’s roughly 63 applicants chasing every single vacancy. This imbalance does not just show the intensity of unemployment pressures; it creates the perfect environment for scammers to prey on unsuspecting victims.
Such a vast applicant pool is a ready-made market for fake job offers, counterfeit forms, and “exclusive” recruitment shortcuts sold to desperate people. It is precisely why the CDCFIB and other government recruitment boards should follow the Customs Service’s example and release similar clear, accessible public messages such as videos, press statements, or other awareness tools—explaining the genuine process and warning against fraud.
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In its own video, the NCS laid out the facts that recruitment is completely free, applications happen only through the official portal www.recruitment.customs.gov.ng, and shortlisted candidates are contacted only through verified channels like email, SMS, or national newspapers, not via WhatsApp broadcasts, Facebook messages, TikTok videos, or random phone calls from strangers claiming to be officers.
It stressed that shortlisting takes time because thousands apply, but vacancies are few, and every applicant must be screened for eligibility. It was as much a reality check as it was a warning.
That warning is necessary because scammers are quick to exploit any silence or delay in official communication. On 6 July 2025, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS Public Relations Officer, had to issue a public disclaimer debunking a fake press release that claimed a Computer-Based Test (CBT) was scheduled for July.
The forged document was riddled with errors, but to a desperate applicant hungry for updates, it could easily pass as legitimate. Worse still, on 16 June 2025, Customs Police arrested one Mr. Okoli Okana Boniface for allegedly manipulating the recruitment process while posing as an aide to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
These cases are not isolated—they are proof that scams can be elaborate, convincing, and deeply damaging. The real danger here is that silence from the authorities creates an information vacuum.
In that vacuum, lies spread faster than the truth. Government agencies often complain that the public does not trust them, but trust is built through consistent, proactive communication, not occasional statements issued in crisis mode.
The Customs Service’s video was an important step, but one video will not dismantle the scam economy. To protect the public, there must be regular, timely updates on recruitment processes, wide-reaching awareness campaigns in both urban and rural areas, and the publicised prosecution of offenders to show that this crime carries real consequences.
We live in a country where unemployment fuels desperation, and desperation makes fertile ground for scammers. That is why every applicant, and frankly every Nigerian, should pay attention to official communication and share verified information widely.
Until more agencies follow Customs’ example and close the communication gap, scammers will continue to turn hope into profit, leaving their victims with nothing but regret. The lesson is painfully simple: official information saves you, fake news robs you, and in recruitment, as in life, shortcuts often lead straight into the hands of thieves.
Tahir Ahmad is a corps member serving at PRNigeria Centre, Abuja. He can be reached via: [email protected].
