Scam alert! Nigeria's federal civil service commission isn't recruiting, ignore fake online posts
IN SHORT: The Office of the Head of the Civil Service Commission of the Federation is not recruiting, despite what some Facebook posts would have you believe.
Jobseekers would ordinarily be pleased to hear that Nigeria's Office of the Head of the Civil Service Commission of the Federation (OHCSF) is recruiting.
At least that's the claim of the NIGERIA IMMIGRATION SERVICE 20222023 RECRUITMENT NEWS Facebook page, which has 109,900 followers.
One post on the page, dated 19 July 2024, reads: "Employment Application Submission at Office of the Head of Civil Service Commission of The Federation. Send your CV to the provided email address: [email protected]."
The office of the head of the civil service commission supervises government parastatals and administrative centres.
Posts making the same claim can be found here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
Africa Check has previously debunked several job scams. But are these latest claims true? We checked.
Red flags
There are a number of signs that you need to be careful.
Government agencies always use official means of communication, not public email systems such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Hotmail.
The official email address of the commission is [email protected].
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In February 2022, the federal government ordered departments to stop using generic internet domains for official communications.
Applying for a job with a federal agency is usually done via a portal, where you fill in a form and submit other documents. You don't just send your curriculum vitae to an email address. The procedure is usually very strict.
We searched the OHCSF website and its verified official X handle, but found no evidence that it was recruiting.
'Fake OHCSF recruitment advert'
On 9 September 2024, the office posted a disclaimer on its website warning Nigerians against fake job ads.
It said: "The OHCSF wishes to inform the public that recent online publications concerning recruitment and employment procedures allegedly linked to this Office are false and should be disregarded. These publications are undoubtedly the work of fake and fraudulent job racketeers and scammers."
The office said that all job opportunities in the federal civil service and the public service would be published on the official websites and portals of the government.
For tips on how to spot online scams offering jobs, grants, loans and gifts, read our guide here.
The same claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
