The internet is arguably one of the best man-made inventions. It is filled with life-enriching information portals, fun social platforms, great online job boards—and also multiple online job scams.

True life story; I heard people, who resides in their Various Locations recounts, their ordeal. They applied for a job online and had received an SMS that they should either come to Lagos o wherever for an interview. To make the trip, some borrowed money from Friends and Relatives, risked their lives at night journeys on the notorious Highways, and lodged at a small hotels on arrival to revise for the interview. Only to get to the venue and discover that it was not a job interview at all, it was a marketing seminar.

You ain't alone. I onward4life, fell victim this Very Monday 25/jun/2017 to alliance in motion forming N-power (actually within abuja). Thousands of Nigerian job seekers have fallen for these unfortunate scams. Here are 9 ways you can detect a scam job.

1. Sneaky advertorial
Have you come across job adverts without a company name? Be careful! Why? Genuine companies seldom hide their names. On the rare occasions that they choose to do this, they either hire a known recruitment agency or they show you enough information to know they are serious.

From the job ad, identifying a scam job is pretty easy.  You should look out for missing company names and unclear/ vague job descriptions interspersed with obvious typographical & grammatical errors. Not having a company name does not mean the job is scam, but it should raise your suspicion.

2. Phoney contact details
If the job ad has a personal email (for example: adekunleadamu@hotmail.com) as the return address; it is most likely a scam job. A real company (like Apapa APM terminals: appapmtsia@apmterminals.com) will use a professional email address and not a personal mail. The same goes for phone numbers. Scam companies usually list personal phone numbers in their contact details.

3. Ridiculously low requirements
To be candid, not everybody can do a good job. Therefore, not everybody should be able to apply for some jobs.

How to identify a scam job: when you see a job requirement that reads, “Candidate must be 18 years of age and above, must be a citizen, must have internet access, must be able to work from home, no work experience needed, etc.” which means everybody can apply, it is most likely a scam job. A real job will always have some distinguishing criteria.

4. No online footprint
How to identify a scam job: use google. When in doubt about a potential scam job, call on Google, your friend. Real companies have websites, references from other websites, or press releases on other websites. Someone somewhere would have talked about the job or the company online. In any case, if it is a scam job you will likely find a Nairaland thread on the company or the job that will tell you if it is a scam job.

If the company or job has no digital footprint; don’t bother wasting resources. It is most likely a scam job.

5. You were contacted from the blue
You were notified that you have been shortlisted for a job aptitude test or “job briefing” without applying for the job. First and foremost, there is nothing like a job briefing. This term is mostly used by scam marketers who invite unsuspecting job seekers to unsolicited marketing sessions under the guise of an interview.

If any company invites you for an interview without applying, you have most likely identified a scam job. Yes, sometimes your CV gets into the hands of companies you do not remember applying for a job at, but those rare times, make sure you make use of at least tip No. 4 before you dive in.

6. You were contacted via SMS
Real companies do not send interview invitations as SMSs. And even on rare occasions when they do, such an SMS will always be accompanied by an email. If this does not happen in your case, it is likely that the job is a scam job.

7. “Processing fee” was demanded
To identify a scam job, check out if processing fee or any fee whatsoever is being demanded. If the job requires that money be paid, it is a scam job. No real or serious employer will ask you to pay before you work for them.

8. Personal information was requested
Real employers don’t ask for bank information and passwords. If anyone asks you to provide these at the application or interview stage, it is definitely a scam job. To identify a scam job, you must be very vigilant. Do not disclose your personal information to anybody, anywhere.

9. Your intuition says it’s a scam job
Identifying a scam job involves research & cautiousness. However, sometimes, some of these scam jobs are water-tight which means you might not see all the tell-tale signs of scam.

But, if your “sharp naija mind” says something isn’t right with the job, trust your intuition; follow your heart and alert relevant authorities and other job seekers so they can also steer clear.

Do you have any scam job story we can all learn from? Have you identified any scam job recently that you think others should know about?

Please Feel free to Add yours, so that we can mutually fight this menace to its lowest ebb.

Thanks