The British High Commission and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have warned Nigerians against fraudulent overseas job offers used by traffickers to lure victims into cyber-enabled scam centres abroad.
The warning was issued on Monday in Abuja during a survivor-centred event themed, “Confronting the Global Scam Centre Crisis: Perspectives of Nigerian Survivors.” Officials said many unsuspecting Nigerians are enticed with promises of well-paid employment, only to be trafficked to scam operations in Southeast Asia.
Speakers at the event explained that victims are often recruited through fake online job advertisements and subsequently transported to countries such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, where they are compelled to engage in cyber fraud.
They stressed that raising awareness is critical to preventing Nigerians from falling prey to traffickers and to addressing what they described as a growing global scam centre crisis.
According to the officials, legitimate employers do not recruit through informal social media channels, demand upfront payments, or instruct prospective employees to travel on tourist visas for work. Nigerians were urged to verify job offers thoroughly before accepting them.
The British Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, Ms. Gill Lever, said the United Kingdom is collaborating closely with Nigerian authorities and other partners to support victims and combat the crime.
“We are here to listen to survivors, who have shown remarkable bravery in sharing their experiences,” Lever said. “Their courage will help prevent others from being harmed, and we stand firmly with Nigeria and our African Commonwealth partners in confronting this rapidly evolving threat.”
One survivor, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recounted being lured abroad with promises of a better life, only to endure harsh conditions in a scam centre.
“I was promised a good job and a better life, but instead I was trapped and forced to live in constant fear,” the survivor said.
Meanwhile, a 2026 report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, titled A Wicked Problem, revealed that at least 120,000 people are currently held in forced scam operations in Myanmar, with more than 300,000 affected across Southeast Asia.
The report stated that victims originate from at least 66 countries. It further found that between 2020 and 2025, approximately 74 per cent of those trafficked into scam centres globally were initially promised high-paying jobs before being transported to the region.
