A Nigerian graduate has shared how a seemingly promising job offer turned into months of frustration, confusion, and disappointment. The job seeker said he received the opportunity through his then-girlfriend, who claimed that her father’s friend was launching a new company and wanted to recruit staff. Trusting the offer, he made important career decisions based on the promises he received.
However, repeated delays, conflicting explanations, and suspicious discoveries eventually convinced him that the employment opportunity was not genuine.
According to the graduate, the situation began in February while he was still in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend. She informed him that her father’s friend was opening a new company and would begin operations in April. 
The news excited him because he planned to register for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program before searching for a full-time job. Since the company planned to start operations in April, he believed the opportunity would provide a smooth transition into his career.
At the time, he worked at a company where he felt uncomfortable and dissatisfied. Despite his concerns about the job, he decided to remain there until the new company commenced operations.
On February 24, he received a message informing him about a job offer. The offer surprised him because he had never met the company’s management or applied for any position. Nevertheless, he trusted the opportunity because his girlfriend introduced it through her father’s friend.
The recruitment process appeared unusually favorable from the beginning. When he informed the company that he could not attend a physical interview, the representatives assured him that they would conduct a virtual interview instead.
The company also promised attractive benefits. Representatives told him they would provide accommodation and a competitive salary. As a graduate searching for an entry-level position, he felt excited about the opportunity.
As April approached, the company informed him that it had postponed the resumption date until May. Although he found the delay unusual, he remained patient and continued waiting.
When May arrived, the company failed to provide a definite resumption date. Instead, the representatives continued to offer excuses.
He frequently contacted them to request updates about his employment status. During these conversations, the representatives insisted that they had already sent important details to his email address and phone number. However, he never received any such messages.
“They kept telling me they had sent information that I never received,” he recalled.
The representatives also claimed they had called him several times, but he found no evidence of the calls.
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They later informed him that they would add him to an official WhatsApp group for employees. Despite making that promise repeatedly, they never added him to any group.
Whenever he raised concerns, they assured him that someone else would handle the process. He found the explanation difficult to believe because adding a person to a WhatsApp group takes only a few seconds.
At that point, he began to question the legitimacy of the company. He realized that he had never met any company representative in person. Every conversation had taken place through WhatsApp messages.
Determined to verify the company’s existence, he conducted his own investigation.
He searched for the company’s address online and traveled to the location listed on its profile, which was on the island in Lagos State. When he arrived there, he discovered that a completely different company occupied the address.
He also noticed that the address attached to the WhatsApp account belonged to a power distribution facility rather than the real estate company the recruiters claimed to represent.
The discovery increased his suspicions. However, he decided not to confront anyone immediately.
At the time, he and his girlfriend were already experiencing problems in their relationship. He worried that confronting her too quickly could damage both the relationship and any chance of securing the job. Since she had introduced him to the opportunity, he believed maintaining contact would help him gather more information.
As a result, he continued asking questions while observing the inconsistencies in their explanations.
Eventually, he decided to investigate the WhatsApp number used by the supposed company representatives.
He copied the number and entered it into his OPay account to identify the account holder’s name.
To his surprise, the name that appeared belonged to his ex-girlfriend’s cousin.
The discovery left him angry and confused.
“I contacted my ex-girlfriend immediately,” he said. “I asked her if she was playing games with me. I wanted to know what I had done to deserve such treatment.”
When he confronted her, she claimed the situation was merely a coincidence. She admitted that the name belonged to her cousin but insisted that her cousin had no connection to the WhatsApp number.
He found the explanation difficult to accept.
At that moment, he concluded that the entire employment opportunity had been fabricated.
The experience carried significant consequences. Believing he had secured a stable position, he left the job he previously held. He also postponed his NYSC registration because he expected to start work with the new company.
Looking back, he says the experience taught him valuable lessons about patience, verification, and due diligence.
His story serves as a warning to other job seekers. Attractive offers, unrealistic promises, and poor communication often signal potential problems. This story advises graduates and job hunters to verify company information thoroughly before making major career decisions.
What appeared to be a dream opportunity eventually became a costly lesson about trust and caution in today’s competitive job market.
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