Customs cautions against fake online recruitment adverts

Mr Joseph Attah, the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Monday urged Nigerians to be wary of the activities of Internet fraudsters who were advertising vacancies in the Service.

Attah told our reporter in Abuja that the Service was aware that Internet fraudsters were on the prowl, cashing in on the desperation of job seekers to extort money from them.

“I want Nigerians to know that Customs is not recruiting currently and we don’t know how many times we have to say this.

“You see all sorts of advertisement on recruitment on social media such as replacement. I don’t know who one wants to replace,” Attah said.

He said in para-military or military recruitment there was no word like replacement.

According to him, when the Service recruits personnel, they go through a process of documentation after which they are given service numbers, trained and commissioned.

“You cannot replace anybody. We have arrested a number of internet fraudsters and even secured some convictions in 2017, yet people will not resist the temptation by these fraudsters,” said Attah.

According to him, when members of the public see advertisement for replacement of personnel, which requires them to part with money, it should call for caution.

He urged job seekers to be cautious and ask why the fraudsters avoid personal contact with them.

He also said by giving private bank account numbers for job seekers to pay money into, when they were supposed to be dealing with a government organisation, should also make the job seekers suspicious.

He advised job seekers to dismiss any recruitment process that begins and ends outside Customs premises, saying they should go to the nearest Customs formation to verify such claims before parting with money.