In a country battling rising unemployment and underemployment, a dangerous wave of task-based online job scams is trapping thousands of Nigerians with promises of easy money for simple digital tasks — only to leave victims financially devastated.
These scams, often delivered via WhatsApp and Telegram, lure unsuspecting job seekers with offers to earn daily income by subscribing to YouTube pages, liking posts, or reviewing products for so-called “marketing brands.”
One victim, Kolawole Ariba (name changed), a 33-year-old father of two, recalls how it began.
On January 21, 2025, Ariba received a message from an unfamiliar international number offering a remote job with instant payouts.
“From WhatsApp, the conversation moved to Telegram. Her name was Alade Juliet. She said she worked with a popular marketing brand and that people were paid to work remotely,” he told Sunday PUNCH.
To build trust, the scammer gave Ariba a simple task — subscribe to a YouTube page and send a screenshot.
“After I sent the proof and my account details, I was credited with ₦3,000. She then told me there would be more tasks the next day.”
That initial payment lowered his guard — a common tactic used by fraudsters to convince victims the scheme is legitimate before pushing them into larger, irreversible payments later.
Experts warn that these scams thrive on economic hardship, desperation, and the growing search for online income, urging Nigerians to be cautious of any job that:
• Requires moving conversations to Telegram
• Promises instant money for minimal work
• Requests payments to unlock higher tasks.
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