8 Ways To Detect A Scam Interview Invitation

By Abimbola A. Fapohunda

Many Nigerian job seekers have fallen prey to scammers disguised as recruiters. Some jobs seekers borrow money to attend interviews in distant places only to discover the company is into drug marketing, which they are oftentimes not interested in. I have seen job seekers who even pay recruiters with the promise of a job they never get. To save yourself of stress and prevent stories that touch the heart, I have identified eight ways to detect a scam interview invitation.

1. Poor punctuation, spelling errors, and wrong sentence structure are a pointer to scam interview invitation. HRs and admins of genuine companies ensure they dot their ‘i’s and cross their ‘t’s before sending invitation to shortlisted applicants.

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2. Any job offer that requires that you first pay for form or whatever thing is nothing less of a scam. Walk out of the interview room, grab a bottle of chilled Coke and keep the change.

3. Beware of wack email subjects or titles such as: Leadership Assessment, HR: CEO181, job Briefing etc. An ideal email subject should make reference to the position you have applied for.

4. Restrain from attending an interview in a company that doesn’t have a website or strong social media presence. Also, that the company is listed on VConnect or any other business listing site is not enough reason to tag the company as genuine.

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5. A recruiter’s reluctance to give you information about the company’s name, its location and what they do is a pointer to scam.

6. Be mindful of recruiters that require you to send your details to a personal contact ahead of the interview. It’s unprofessional!

7. Beware of a company that keeps rescheduling you for an interview despite your failure to show up for the first without prior permission. Are you the only competent hand in Nigeria?

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8. Beware of exaggerated message: ‘You are the suitable candidate for the job’. That was a statement I found on the interview invitation I got from a supposed transport company sometimes last year. As soon as I saw that part of the message, I decided that I was going nowhere. What kind of recruiter makes assertive claim about an applicant they have not had prior interaction with?

So friends, be vigilant and save yourself of unnecessary stress.