MUST READ FOR JOB SEEKERS!!! - Beware Of Fraudulent Recruitment Agencies/Employer

It has become necessary for those who respond to every job advertisement without proper investigation to be wary, as cases of unscrupulous individuals defrauding people seem to be on the increase. 

It was learnt that no fewer than 500 people were recently defrauded by a company known as Jenew Consulting.

The company, which had advertised in a national daily in October last year, had told applicants to pay the sum of N3,500 into a certain bank account as a prerequisite for writing an aptitude test of a company wishing to employ successful applicants.

It promised to send letters of invitation to the respondents.

Thinking that the proposed recruitment was genuine, a lot of applicants responded and paid the said sum. After a month of waiting endlessly for a reply from the company, the victims began to investigate and discovered that they had been defrauded.

One of the victims, Mr. Oluwaseyi Olowookere, told newsmen that the company paraded itself in a manner that made the exercise seem genuine thereby leaving no room for suspicion.

He said, “When the job advertisement of Jenew Consulting was published, I among others responded to it and our applications were acknowledged by the company via e-mail on February 7, 2012. It stated that we had been selected to participate in the final screening for the selection of candidates.

“We were further informed that there would be one-day intensive coaching on the topic; ‘The 21st Century Renaissance Man (in the corporate work place)’ by Prof. Anthonio Rodriguez from the Institute for Advanced Management, Maryland, USA.

“Also, we were told that there would be a test to ascertain our qualification for the positions we applied for scheduled to take place on March 10, 2012, at three locations, namely; Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja; Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos; and All-Seasons Hotel, Owerri, Imo.”

It was learnt that the company in an e-mail sent by the Head of its Human Capital Unit, Dr. Kenneth Pepple, told the applicants to pay in the sum of N3,500 to an Oceanic Bank account which most of them did.

Olowokeere said he along with all the victims went to the respective locations as expected but the representatives of the company did not show up. It was learnt that it was at that point that the applicants began to suspect foul play.

Olowookere said, “We did everything the company instructed but it’s unfortunate that on getting to the venue (Excellence Hotel) on March 10, 2012, the manager (of the hotel) made it known to us that there was no such arrangement at the hotel, neither was there any employee of Jenew Consulting to attend to us. “Also, there has not been any message or information from the firm to inform us of what happened and what next we should do about our applications.”

Another victim, Mrs. Patricia Offordile, told newsmen that the applicants in the other states had similar experience at the other venues. “I learnt that applicants in other states did not write the test as well. We tried tracing the company but we learnt that their offices are in Abuja and Owerri. We have not heard from them since,” Offordile said. 

The matter had been reported at Area G command, Ogba.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos Command, Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, confirmed that the case had been reported at the Area G. He said, “The Investigating Police Officer said he was waiting for more victims to come forward before commencing investigation.

“Job seekers need to be careful because so many fraudsters are out there to dupe people. The moment a company tells you to pay money in order to secure employment, you should begin to question the genuineness of the company.”