The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has disowned fake employment letters allegedly being circulated in its name, warning members of the public against falling victim to fraudulent recruitment schemes.
The commission, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Eniola Akinkuotu, said some of the letters were artificially generated using artificial intelligence and bore the names of individuals unknown to the regulator.
According to the NUPRC, the fraudulent documents were being used by criminal elements to deceive unsuspecting members of the public and demand money from them under the guise of securing employment with the commission.
The commission said it had reported the activities to relevant law enforcement agencies and was awaiting the outcome of their investigations.
“While the NUPRC has reported the activities of these criminal elements to law enforcement agencies and awaits an outcome of investigation, members of the public are advised to be circumspect so they don’t fall victim,” the statement said.
The oil sector regulator stressed that it was not conducting any recruitment exercise at present, urging Nigerians to disregard purported offers of employment issued in its name.
The NUPRC added that whenever it opens a recruitment process, such exercise would be conducted in accordance with applicable laws and government regulations.
The warning comes amid a growing pattern of fraudulent recruitment schemes targeting job seekers through fake appointment letters and other deceptive documents.
