Fact-Check: Deception Disguise as Opportunity – How ‘Akomo Allwe’ Uses Fake Job Ads to Lure Job Seekers into Network Marketing
By: Abdulraheem Muhammed
A social media user with the Facebook account Akomo Allwe is posting job advertisements in different Facebook groups, promising lucrative salaries.
Misleading!
A social media user with the Facebook account Akomo Allwe has been posting job advertisements in various Facebook groups, targeting job seekers in different locations such as Ilorin, Akure, and Ipaja in Lagos State. The account, which was created in 2020 became active on April 2024, has 392 friends and contains only a single profile photo, with recent updates on June 29 and 30, 2024, including a relocation update to Lagos State.
Investigations reveal that the account has been actively posting in several higher education groups, including those affiliated with institutions such as:
● University of Ilorin
● Al-Hikmah University
● Kwara State Polytechnic
● Kwara State College of Education
● College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS)
● Adeshina College of Education
● Grand-Plus College of Education
Additionally, the account has been found in various Trade and community groups in Iwo, Ilorin, Akure, Lagos, and other locations, using the same phone number across multiple job advertisements.
A 24-year-old job seeker, Umar Opeyemi, who recently graduated and is awaiting NYSC service, fell victim to one of the deceptive job ads. She narrated her experience:
“I was planning to move to Ondo State to start my farming business when I came across a job advert on Facebook that aligned with my interests. I asked my friend to chat with the advertiser, and he was told to attend an interview at Asa Dam on Monday. Upon arrival, I called the contact number, and a male voice directed me to a specific location where a lady picked me up. However, when I got there, I realized it was not an interview but a seminar room used for NeoLife, GNLD, and ‘Secure Your Future’ network marketing. I was deeply disappointed, having spent my last money to attend what I thought was a real job interview. It left me bitter and confused throughout the day.”
Furthermore, An analysis of the engagement on Akomo Allwe’s job posts shows that several social media users have disclaimed the posts and called them deceptive.
A Facebook user named Khaleed Khaleed commented:
“It’s NeoLife. See his other posts. You think you can deceive me? At the end, I found out you’re a NeoLife member, and you are calling me into it. You think I will let you go just like that?”
Another Facebook user, Omolade Alemika, commented:
“What’s the color of your problem? Why are you deceiving people?”
In another Facebook group, Omolade Alemika wrote:
“God will judge you for this fake job.”
In August 2022, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) published an investigative report written by Abdulrasheed Hammed, exposing similar fake job schemes. According to the report, victims were instructed to send their name, address, and the position they were applying for, only to receive a congratulatory message informing them they had been shortlisted for an interview. However, the so-called job interview turned out to be a network marketing seminar.
Unlike the previous investigation, which uncovered multiple users operating across different locations, the Akomo Allwe account appears to be a single user targeting multiple groups.
The Akomo Allwe Facebook account is being used to post fake job advertisements with no verifiable information about its owner. The job ads serve as a bait to lure unsuspecting job seekers into an unofficial network marketing scheme.
For years, similar deceptive tactics have persisted, causing psychological and emotional distress to victims. However, there are currently no policies or regulations in place to curb these fraudulent activities and protect job seekers from exploitation.
