FAKE EMPLOYMENT: Over 1,000 Nigerians Stranded, Scammed $10,000 In UK – IOM Warns

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has cautioned Nigerians about a syndicate issuing fake employment letters for jobs in the UK.

Over 1,000 Nigerians are reportedly stranded in the UK after discovering that their visas were based on fraudulent employment letters.

Some victims lost significant amounts of money in this scam, reaching up to $10,000 each.

IOM’s Chief of Mission, Laurent De Boeck, urged potential migrants to seek accurate information and cautioned against falling victim to such scams, emphasizing the importance of using legitimate migration channels.

VerseNews reports that Boeck, disclosed this at a news conference yesterday in Abuja.

“There are some of them who lost over $10,000 only to be given fake employment letters, which allowed them to get visas.”

“They get there, present the letters, and the organisations tell them that the letters did not emanate from the organisations. Over a thousand people are affected,” he stated.

He also disclosed that over 260,000 Nigerians had approached the agency in 2023 seeking guidance on how to migrate through regular or approved routes and also undergoing pre-departure medical health assessments.

Boeck added that IOM is working with partners to repatriate thousands of people, including Nigerians, from Tunisia, which has recently placed a ban on migration.