The Federal Ministry of Finance has warned job seekers to disregard a fraudulent message directing newly recruited staff to pay a ₦50,000 fee before resuming duty, describing the notice as a scam designed to deceive unsuspecting applicants.
Announcing the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Efe Ovuakporie, said the ministry does not charge any administrative, processing, or resumption fee at any stage of its recruitment process.
Ovuakporie urged prospective employees not to make any payment or disclose their personal or financial information to those behind the scam.
According to Ovuakporie, the fake message, titled “Administrative Update and Compliance Notice for Newly Recruited Staff”, falsely claims that the ministry’s Human Resource Management Department directed newly recruited employees to pay a non-refundable administrative fee before resuming work.
Ovuakporie stressed that no office or official of the ministry issued such a directive, describing the notice as the handiwork of fraudsters targeting unsuspecting job seekers through false recruitment claims.
The ministry explained that recruitment into the Federal Ministry of Finance follows the established procedures of the Federal Civil Service and does not require applicants to pay any administrative, processing, or resumption fee at any stage.
Prospective employees and members of the public were advised to disregard the fake notice and refrain from making payments to any individual or group claiming to represent the ministry.
The ministry also urged applicants not to disclose their personal or financial information to anyone connected with the fraudulent message.
Ovuakporie encouraged anyone with useful information about the scam to report it to the appropriate law enforcement agencies or through the ministry’s official communication channels.
Reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and integrity in its recruitment processes, Ovuakporie said it would continue to work with relevant authorities to protect Nigerians from fraudsters operating in the ministry’s name.
The ministry further advised Nigerians to verify all recruitment information through official government channels before taking any action.
