The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has issued a warning about fraudulent employment letters being circulated online, some generated using artificial intelligence. These fake documents are falsely attributed to the Commission and have been used by scammers to target job seekers. In a statement released Tuesday by spokesperson Eniola Akinkuotu, the NUPRC confirmed it had received reports of individuals unknown to the agency appearing in fabricated appointment letters. The Commission stated it is not currently running any recruitment exercise and urged the public to ignore any such offers not issued through its official channels.
According to the statement, some fraudsters are also collecting money from applicants by falsely claiming they can secure jobs within the agency. The NUPRC said it has reported these activities to law enforcement agencies and is awaiting the outcome of investigations. It emphasized that any future recruitment will follow established government regulations and be communicated only through authorized platforms. "The NUPRC states categorically that there is no ongoing recruitment exercise at the Commission," the statement read. Job seekers were advised to verify all communication directly with the Commission before taking action.
The NUPRC denies running any recruitment despite fake AI-generated job letters circulating with its branding. This raises questions about how easily regulatory identities can be mimicked online and what safeguards exist to protect job seekers from tech-enabled scams. The Commission has referred the matter to law enforcement but has not detailed steps to proactively disrupt such operations.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
