A case of job fraud

By Okechukwu Onuegbu

Scammers, who defraud unsuspecting job seekers under the pretext of giving them jobs appear to be at it again, this time in Awka, Anambra State capital, where a company going by the name INTERJOB GETTERS is being fingered as guilty of the recurring crime.

Orient Daily gathered that this company parades itself as a human resource and job recruitment agency which finds job for young and vibrant job seekers with qualifications such as SSCE, OND, NCE, BSC, HND, etc. in all disciplines in a company/industry of their choice in Nigeria or abroad.

INTERJOB GETTERS claimed to have connections and job slots with Federal , State and Private establishments such as the Nigerian Military, National Communications Commission, MTN Nigeria, Gloworld, Etisalat, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Fidelity Bank, Shell Nigeria, OANDO Nigeria, UNILEVER PLC, Solid Enterprises to mention but a few and vowed to secure employment for 3.5 million people this year. The company claimed to have been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as INTERJOB GETTERS ENTERPRISES on Thursday 5th April, 2012 (CRBN 080965). Their claimed registered address is 269 Zik Avenue (Opposite St. Patrick's Cathedral) along Old Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Awka, Anambra state. Orient Daily investigations show that the company goes with the motto: “Making your dream a reality.” Its e-mail address is [email protected], while the website is www.interjobgetters.com. INTERJOB GETTERS ENTERPRISES also possesses the following phone numbers: 08176016988 and 08065195990, while its details are as follows: GTBANK; account name - INTERJOB Getters; account number - 0123993165.

According a victim of this company's alleged job fraud, its modus operandi is as follows:

The company posts job vacancies on its web address; www.interjobgetters.com as well as advertise same through fliers and posters pasted at strategic locations on the streets of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Enugu and so on. Information on these publications request job seekers to come and pick a form at the cost of N5oo at the office of INTERJOB GETTERS ENTERPRISES. The person is to fill and submit the form accompanied by two recent passport-sized photograph, curriculum vitae and credentials. Then, the applicant will sign an agreement that N2000 must be deducted from his/her first salary and a guarantee that he will get the job within a month.

Our source said, “I applied for a job in this company on November 19 2012. On December 15 2012, INTERJOB GETTTERS sent me SMS to come and apply for job in any of the following federal institutions: National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Communications Commission (NCC); the Nigerian Armed Forces and Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, among others.

“At the office of the company, Director of the company (a lady who is known in Dominion Temple Church, Awka, Anambra State) compelled us (applicants) to pay N2000 (agreement fee) before service because, according to her, it would be difficult for her to deduct it later. About 50 applicants including myself paid the amount.

“However, what broke the camel's back was when NIMC texted some of us to register for their aptitude test using printed pins. It was so ridiculous and absurd because what we got from INTERJOB GETTTERS was a handwritten note. Logging on with the pin was unsuccessful as such we called our Director on phone but she asked us not to disturb her. That was how we lost the job.”

According to this same source, his businesses with INTERJOB GETTERS did not end with this failed transaction, but continued on January 11, 2013 when the company again texted him to resubmit his CV, credentials and two recent passport-sized photograph with a view to applying for any of the following job vacancies: cashier, teller counter or customer care officer in a purported microfinance bank called INTERSLINGS .

Our source said; “INTERSLINGS according to the company, has branches in Onitsha, Owerri, Aba, Enugu, Asaba etc. I applied as usual but waited for interview for many months in vain. During this period, I got different text messages for online aptitude test with INTERSLINGS. The first date was on 9th of February later postponed to 23 February and lastly to 2nd march. However, the text message requested us (applicants) to follow instructions on www.interslings.com, then pay the sum ofN1500 into an Ecobank Account: INTERSLINGS VENTURES (0057217515) so as to access a pin to be used for aptitude test on 2nd March 2013 via the aforementioned site.

“Immediately, I ran to the company to complain to the Director but unfortunately, she was absent. Therefore, I met with her staff and other applicants who were also there to complain. All efforts to garner cogent information about INTERSLINGS microfinance bank was in vain because its site links INTERJOB GETTERS as creator. As such, applicants and the company's staff were aggrieved. We called the Director's line and told her to come or instruct her staff to refund us our money. But she threatened us to vacate her office at once.”

Sources within INTERJOB GETTERS told our reporter that the Director has sacked up to ten of her staff without remuneration, adding that some of them later returned and beat her up. These sources said that this prompted her to leave Awka before the job seekers she taken money from discovered her fraudulent way. Her staff members who spoke to Orient Daily claimed that they were also being owed and have consequently locked up the office and vowing to deal with her.

Check by Orient Daily shows that the office of INTERJOB GETTERS has remained under lock and key since February 28, 2013.

The victim, who spoke to our reporter complained that notwithstanding all that has happened, INTERJOB GETTERS has kept sending SMS to him from an unknown location. He called on investigators, anti-graft agencies and human rights groups to investigate the authenticity of this enterprise called INTERJOB GETTERS.

Investigation by Orient Daily shows that none of the job seekers that have done business with this company has secured any job despite the N2000 agreement fee they were made paid.