I once read a tweet that angrily demanded that the worst spaces in hell be reserved for those who fart in airplanes at high altitudes. If someone could be so disgusted about a natural phenomenon, imagine the anger when you see people prey on persons seeking jobs to earn a living. In a country with high unemployment levels, many persons are desperately seeking employment opportunities. Sadly, many fall prey to crooks whose job is to scam the jobless. The scammed are even the fortunate ones; some applicants are robbed, beaten, raped, or even killed.
Someone close to me informed me he had received an interview invite and wanted my opinion on whether he should attend the interview. Aware of a growing list of reported scam interview invites on Nairaland, I checked the popular forum and found nothing to suggest the company was fraudulent. Regular internet searches turned up nothing solidly suspicious. The company has a sparse website, which I noticed was just registered a month ago. I called a contact number on the website and spoke with a lady who seemed legit and claimed she had worked there for about seven years. She explained they had issues with their website and had just reactivated it. I checked their Facebook Page and noticed they had at least four years of posts. I still had some doubts but advised my contact to attend the interview but walk away if he were asked to pay any money.
This person would later tell me he attended the interview, and after keeping the interviewees waiting for over four hours, the “MD” informed them that Pro Sterling Integrated Services at 13 Omoku Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, would employ them subject to participation in a “free training”. However, they would need to pay about ₦37,000 for their “kits and certificate”. I felt obliged to apologise for advising him to attend the purported interview. The wasted four hours could have been better spent counting the number of cars passing near the latest flyover being constructed in Port Harcourt. Sadly, I can bet that some desperate persons would pay the requested sum in hope of landing a job.
Why are unscrupulous elements able to keep pulling off these scams? I think the government is complicit in letting the scams continue. Scour the web and you would see myriads of complaints about certain “companies” that invite people for interviews only to request payment for pre-employment training, or cajole tired applicants to register for one multi-level marketing gimmick or another. One recurrent address is 150B Oba Ogunji Road, Ogba, Lagos State. I even received an interview invite from one “Rybid Consult” some hours before drafting this article. Unfortunately for them, I am very well employed.
It is really saddening that despite repeated complaints online, neither the regular police, nor the “secret police” have found any reason to raid the addresses commonly used by scam companies. At least, if they were raided, they would be forced to change addresses, because it is disheartening to find the same addresses being used for sham interview invites over a five-year timeframe. The police and their acclaimed “crack detectives” cannot honestly say they are unaware of these scams, or require a formal complaint before they can act.
Thanks to complaints posted on websites like Nairaland, I have been able to stop some persons from wasting time and effort travelling across state borders to attend “interviews”. With a quick check on Nairaland, I can see if someone has mentioned that a certain company or email address or physical address is associated with a sham interview. However, as clearly shown in the Port Harcourt case, some scammers manage to avoid the complaints radar. I hope to see the government start cracking down on these scammers, but the most sustainable solution would be to massively grow the economy to create abundant jobs such that those whose job is to scam the jobless would be jobless.
Image Credit: fraudxpose.com
Jilomes 
I have been a victim of this too. I paid the said sum and realize that nothing they say is true. They keep luring you in and a lot of people pay. out of desperation to work with a company. THEY ARE REALM but if they have this much impunity to act then THEN SOMEONE IN THE GOVERNMENT IS BACKING THEM UP.
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Got the same message today but I thank God there are people like you and naira land ,imagine me traveling from a long distance to go to ph only to be disappointed,may God judge then I found their advert on jiji
Further to your application and interest in pursuing a career with PRO STERLING INT. you have been shortlisted for an Interview in our Port Harcourt office:
#13 Omoku street, by Olu Obasanjo Police roundabout, D-line, Port Harcourt.
Date: 10-06-2022
Time: 8:00am
Come with a Hardcopy of your CV and two passport photographs.
P.N: no face mask, no entry.
Kind Regards.
F: PSIS.
Info hotline: 0901-085-5923
http://www.psisng.com
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I just received an sms from the same PRO STERLING INT. to come for an interview on the 24th of June,2022 at #1 Omachi Road(3rd floor),Rumuodumaya in Port Hacourt.I’m grateful I decided to make a little research about them and I found your page.God will help us in this country cause this is the second time I’m receiving this kind of message from unknown people.
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I got this too from the so called Company….
Further to your application and interest in pursuing a career with PRO STERLING INT. you have been shortlisted for an Interview in our Port Harcourt office:
#13 Omoku street, by Olu Obasanjo Police roundabout, D-line, Port Harcourt.
Date: Fri 05-08-2022
Time: 8:00am
Come with a Hardcopy of your CV and two passport photographs.
P.N: no face mask, no entry.
Kind Regards.
F: PSIS.
Thanks so much. This information came handy. I came across this page yesterday.
I was slated for the scamed interview this morning, It would have been a wasteful day for me.
It is very pathetic that people could be taking advantage of the current economic situation of this country. Please let’s keep posting things like this, in doing so we are saving time and lives.
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Glad to have been of help. People need to continue posting names and contact information of organisations and persons running job scams
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hmm…i applied on jiji too o….my interview na tomorrow…i’m still contemplating
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Further to your application in pursuing a career with PRO STERLING INT. You have been shortlisted for an Interview in one of our branches in Rivers State:
Venue: #13 Omoku street, by Olu Obasanjo Police roundabout, D-line, PH, Rivers State.
Date: 18-10-2022
Time: 8am
Come with a Hardcopy of your CV, credentials and 2 passport photos.
P.N: No face mask, no entry
Kind Regards.
F: PSIS.
I just got this message from them, though I applied and am still contemplating if I should go or not.
Thanks alot for this article
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Ref – jiji.ng
Hi [REDACTED],
Further to your application and interest in pursuing a career with PRO STERLING INT.
You have been shortlisted for an Interview in one of our offices in Rivers State:
#1 Omachi Road (3rd floor), Rumuodumaya, Obio-Akpor LGA.
Date: 4- 11- 2022
Time: 8:00am
Come with a Hardcopy of your CV and two passport photographs.
P.N: no face mask, no entry.
Kind Regards.
F: PSIS.
Info hotline: 0901-085-5923
http://www.psisng.com
Thank God I found out…
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This was so very helpful….you don’t know what you have averted. I got a msg similar to others I had planned my movement already I just had to do a research just to be extra sure. Thank you very plenty at least I can use that transportation money to feed.
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Thank you very much, I just got an invite to interview in this company and I decided to do a little research on them. Thanks for saving a soul(s)
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