NUPRC says fake AI job letters are circulating, no hiring under way
The regulator says there is no recruitment exercise, making payment demands and unofficial offer letters immediate red flags for job seekers.
Introduction
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has warned that fake and AI-generated employment letters are circulating in its name, said no recruitment is under way, and urged job seekers not to pay anyone claiming to secure a position at the agency.
The commission said it had received reports of fake employment letters bearing the names of people unknown to the organisation. It also said “some unscrupulous and criminal elements have been extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public under the pretext of helping them to secure employment at the Commission.”
NUPRC said the activities of the suspected fraudsters had been reported to law enforcement agencies for investigation. The reports reviewed for this article do not identify the agencies involved or any investigative outcome.
What job seekers should watch for
- Any request for money tied to an offer of employment at NUPRC.
- Any employment letter or offer document presented as official while NUPRC says no recruitment is ongoing.
- Any step taken before verifying the information, which the commission said the public should do before acting or making payments.
- Any claim that a current NUPRC hiring exercise is legitimate, because the commission said categorically that there is no ongoing recruitment exercise.
The commission added that any future recruitment would be conducted strictly in line with applicable laws and government regulations. On the information currently available, that leaves a narrow consumer warning: verify any NUPRC employment information and do not make payments on the strength of an offer letter.
The warning is current because the commission described a proliferation of fake and AI-generated letters and said it had already received reports from the public. Beyond that, the source material does not explain why the scam is spreading now, does not provide examples of the fake letters, and does not quantify how many people were targeted or how much money may have been lost.
Disclosure: The reporting behind this article is limited to two media reports quoting a statement on X. The documents do not show the fake letters, identify the law enforcement agencies involved, explain the spread beyond a reported proliferation, or set out an official verification channel or the scale of losses.
