how I got scammed in my quest to get a job.

in #scammers7 years ago

Here is my entry to a scam contest initiated by @swissclive.
This is a true life story of how i got scammed earlier this year.
Whenever I hear people talk about how they got scammed by fraudster and tricksters. I used to always say to myself: "I'm too smart for that, i can't get scammed"
Yes, that was what i thought until i fell for one earlier this year.
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I graduated from the university late last year and here in Nigeria, securing a job is one hell of a big challenge for a fresh graduate, especially one who is not from a rich home. Therefore, NO CONNECTION as we famously call it here.

Unemployment is the major parasite killing the dreams of many youths in Nigeria. Thanks to steemit, majority of us have now been empowered.

So back to my story. Just few days after the new year celebration. I got an email from one Mr. Ibrahim who claimed to work for Arik airline.
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Arik airline is a domestic airline company that operates within Nigeria.

The email was a job vacancy stating that Arik airline needs two translators each for three foreign languages : Russian, French and German language respectively.
Instantly, the adrenaline rush in me went from 0 to 100. I was so excited knowing very well that i could speak Russian Language fluently and there wouldn't be much competition. So, i picked my phone and called my best friend whom we once travelled to Russian together. Told him about the job offer and luckily they needed two Russian translators.
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Rewind 2015-2016. I was on a one-year immersion programme to Russia, Ivanovo precisely.

Apparently, my friend also got interested in the job offer. This was on a friday. I called the self acclaimed Mr. Ibrahim notifying him of the email i received from him and also telling him i have a friend who's also very fluent in Russian Language. Mr. Ibrahim congratulated me and told me to prepare for a little screening on monday and asked me to send to him my CV to his email.
OMG! How could I prepare for an interview without having a CV in the first place. So i ran to my brother's, pleaded with him to assist me in creating a CV.
All through the weekend i was preparing for a job that never existed.
Went to a boutique to get a nice suit and corporate shoe.
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Finally, it's Monday. I woke up quite earlier than usual, I quickly had my bath and as expected i got a call from Mr. Ibrahim saying: "good morning, before going to the office, you need to get 4 passport photographs and also have a medical report. Find your way down to LASUTH(lagos State University Teaching Hospital) when you get there. Call Mrs Ajomale Kehinde". He then sent me her number
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I went ahead to get some passport photographs then I rushed down to LASUTH, there i found my friend and the other four unsuspecting innocent victims (two german and two french speakers)
We contacted Mrs. Ajomale and she located us.
She then said we needed to pay 15,000 naira (about $41) each for the medical report of which the company(Arik Air) will refund to us when we get to the office.
Without hesitation or thinking twice, we gathered the money and gave it to her.
She asked us to sit down, saying she wants to go write out our receipt then we'd go to the Lab.
That was the last we saw of Mrs. Ajomale.
I called Mr. Ibrahim and as expected his phone was already switched off.

It then dawned on us all that we've just been scammed of 90,000 naira in total. Approximately $250. We reported to the security at the hospital but there was nothing they could do saying there's no staff of the hospital with the name Mrs. Ajomale

I went further to send empty threats to the so called Mr. ibrahim but i doubt if he ever bothered to read the message.

Now I'm back into the real world, job searching all over again.

THE END

Thank you very reading and I hope you learnt a lesson or two from my experience with scammers.

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Wow.. Sorry for that bro, Nigeria Is one country so full of scams how much is 90,000. Don't worry bro you will get a good job and you shall travel to where ever you want to.

Thanks alot bro. Amen and thanks alot for the prayer.

Well written and interesting story! This person must have known you speak Russian and targetted you specifically. There is nothing you could have done.

I saw you bought LV shoes! Are they genuine? They must be way too expensive for most people in Nigeria.

Not totally genuine... 80% of the things here in Nigeria are imported from china.
But it's off very good quality.

Nice post.

I also post lovely poems daliy @adenijiadeshina. You can please try checking out those lovely poems at @adenijiadeshina and i hope you love them. Thank you for your support

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