What to Do If You Have Been Scammed by a Fake Employer

Getting scammed is upsetting, and plenty of careful people fall for it. Fake remote employers copy real company names, run believable "interviews" on Telegram or Google Meet, and send offer letters that look official. The shame many victims feel is exactly what scammers count on to keep them quiet.

This guide is for the time after the scam. It covers what to do first, what to do based on what you handed over (money, a cheque, your BVN, passport scans or remote access to your laptop), where to report in Nigeria and abroad, how realistic recovery is, and how to avoid the "recovery agents" who go after victims a second time.

Quick answer

If you've been scammed by a fake employer, stop paying and stop replying. Call your bank's fraud desk straight away and ask them to flag or recall the transfer. Change passwords and turn on two-factor authentication. Screenshot everything. Report the account to the platform it came from and to the police, and escalate to the CBN if your bank doesn't sort it out within about two weeks. Ignore anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee.

The first hour: stop the damage

Speed matters most with money. Moving funds is harder to undo the longer you wait, so do these in order.

1. Stop all payments. Don't send the "final" fee, the "tax clearance" charge or the "refundable" deposit they're now asking for. Once a scammer knows you'll pay, more demands always follow.
2. Call your bank. Use the number on the back of your card or in your bank app, not a number the "employer" gave you. Say the words "I've been defrauded" and give the date, amount and recipient account. Ask them to try to stop or recall the transfer and to log a complaint, and write down the complaint or ticket number.
3. Secure your accounts. If you shared any password or one-time code, change your email password first, then your banking app, LinkedIn and anything else that uses the same password. Turn on two-factor authentication.
4. Disconnect any remote access. If they had you install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or a "work monitoring" app, uninstall it and take the laptop offline until you've scanned it.
5. Save evidence before it disappears. Scammers delete Telegram accounts and WhatsApp chats quickly. Screenshot the conversation, profile, phone numbers and payment details now (the full checklist is further down).
6. Stop replying, but don't confront them. Telling them you're reporting them only gives them time to move money and delete accounts.

What to do next depends on what you gave away

Fake employer scams take different things. Use this table to find your situation, then read the section below it.

If you sent money by bank transfer

Call your bank's fraud line first and follow up in writing (email or the complaint form in your app) so you have a dated record. Ask whether they can place a hold on the receiving account, which is usually at another Nigerian bank or a fintech. Results vary, and there's no promise the money is still there.

The CBN's own complaints management guidance says you must first report the issue to the bank or branch where it happened and allow about two weeks for them to resolve it. If they don't, you can escalate to the CBN's Consumer Protection Department through the CBN website, or by letter to the Director, Consumer Protection Department, Central Business District, Abuja, delivered to the head office or any CBN branch (as of October 2026).

The CBN says a complaint should include:

• Your name, address, phone number and email
• Your bank's name and your account details (never your PIN or passwords)
• The date and history of the disputed transaction
• The amount claimed
• Copies of supporting documents
• Evidence that you complained to your bank first

Be realistic about what this route does. The CBN handles complaints against the banks it regulates. It can push your bank to act properly, but it isn't a criminal investigator. If you authorised the transfer yourself because you were tricked, the bank may say it followed your instructions. Report to the police as well (see below).

If you paid by card, payment app, crypto or gift card

The advice from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) applies anywhere: contact the company you used to send the money, tell them it was fraud, and ask them to reverse it (FTC: What to do if you were scammed).

• Card payment: call the card issuer and ask about disputing the charge.
• Payment app or wallet (PayPal, a dollar card app, Payoneer and similar): use the app's fraud or dispute option the same day and keep the case number.
• Crypto (USDT on Binance, for example): report it to the exchange you sent from. The FTC notes crypto has fewer legal protections, so recovery is less likely, but the exchange may still be able to flag the receiving wallet if it sits on their platform.
• Gift cards: contact the card issuer using the number on the back of the card, and keep the card and receipt.

For how dollar payment apps work in Nigeria in general, see our guide to receiving dollar payments in Nigeria.

If they sent you a cheque for "equipment" or "onboarding"

This is a classic. The "employer" sends a cheque (or says they've sent a payment) and asks you to pay part of it to their "approved vendor" for a laptop or software. The FTC warns that the cheque will bounce and your bank may make you repay the full amount, while the scammer keeps what you sent on (FTC: Job scams).

If you've deposited a cheque like this, tell your bank it's suspected fraud before you spend or forward any of it. If you've already forwarded money, include that in your fraud report.

If you received money and passed it on

Some fake jobs are really "payment processing" or "transaction agent" roles: money lands in your account and you're told to send it somewhere else, keeping a small cut. That money is often stolen from other victims, and the person whose account it passed through can end up questioned by their bank or the police.

Stop immediately. Don't send on any money that's still in your account. Call your bank, explain how you came into the arrangement, and give them the chat history. Coming forward early, with evidence that you were recruited through a fake job ad, puts you in a much better position than staying silent. If the police contact you, get advice from a lawyer.

If you shared your NIN, BVN, passport or bank details

Fake employers often collect "onboarding documents" (passport data page, NIN slip, BVN, utility bill, a selfie holding your ID). These can be used to open accounts, take out loan-app loans or pass verification checks in your name.

• Tell your bank you've shared your BVN and account details with a fraudster, and ask what extra protection they can add to your account.
• Watch your bank alerts and SMS closely for the next few months, including messages from loan apps you've never used.
• If a loan app or lender contacts you about a debt you didn't take, reply in writing that it's identity fraud and keep the evidence.
• If you know an organisation mishandled your personal data, Nigeria's Data Protection Commission (NDPC) runs a privacy breach reporting portal for reporting data privacy violations (as of October 2026).
• Keep a record of exactly which documents you sent, to whom and on what date. You'll need it if the documents are misused later.

For what to share, and when, during a genuine hiring process, read how to protect your identity during remote job applications and what to know before sending your passport to a recruiter.

If you gave passwords, codes or remote access

The FTC's steps for someone who gave remote access to a device are: update or install security software, run a full scan and delete anything it flags, change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication (FTC). Change passwords from a different, clean device if you can, starting with your email, because that's how most other accounts get reset.

If your WhatsApp or Telegram account was taken over, warn your contacts from another channel, because scammers often use hijacked accounts to approach the victim's friends with the same "job".

If you did unpaid "trial" work

Some fake employers don't take money. They get you to write articles, design logos, edit videos or cold-call leads for a "paid trial", then disappear. You won't get that money back in most cases. Stop working, report the profile on the platform where you met them, and keep the work in your portfolio if you created it yourself. Next time, agree payment for a trial task in writing before starting, or take tasks only through a platform that holds funds in escrow.

Collect the evidence properly

Police, banks and platforms all move faster when your evidence is organised. Put everything in one folder (Google Drive or your phone) on the same day.

• Screenshots of every chat, with the scammer's username, phone number and profile visible
• The job ad, its link, and where you found it
• Emails, with the full sender address (not just the display name)
• Offer letters, contracts and any "company documents" they sent
• Payment details: recipient name, account number, bank, amount, date, transaction reference, or crypto wallet address and transaction hash
• Your bank complaint ticket number and any replies
• A short written timeline: when they contacted you, what they promised, what you sent and when

Example (hypothetical): Chidinma applied for a "remote data entry assistant" role she saw on a Telegram channel. The "HR manager" interviewed her by text chat only, sent a PDF offer letter using a real UK company's logo, then asked for ₦85,000 for a "work laptop insurance fee". She paid by bank transfer at 3pm. At 6pm they asked for another ₦120,000. Her timeline note would say exactly that, with the account details, the Telegram username and the offer letter attached. That one-page summary is what she sends to her bank, the police and the platform.

Where to report a fake employer scam

Report to more than one place. Each one does something different: the bank deals with your money, the police with the crime, and the platform with the account so it can't hit the next person.

Reporting to the police and the EFCC

The Nigeria Police Force's National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) handles cybercrime reports, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) receives petitions about financial fraud. Both have online reporting channels, but we couldn't open their official pages to confirm the current links, so check their official websites directly (and be wary of lookalike sites). You can also go to your nearest police station and ask for a written extract of your report, which some banks request.

A police report won't always lead to an arrest, especially when the scammer is using a borrowed or fraudulently opened account. It still matters: it creates an official record, it helps if your identity is misused later, and it connects your case to others involving the same account numbers.

Reporting on LinkedIn and messaging apps

LinkedIn's help centre says you can report a fake profile by opening the profile, clicking More, then Report/Block, and report a scam message by opening the conversation, clicking More and choosing Report this conversation (LinkedIn Help). Telegram and WhatsApp both have report options inside the chat. Report before you block, because blocking can hide the chat you need for evidence.

If the scam started on a job board, report the listing to the board too. If you found it on WorkRemote.ng, use the contact details on the site so we can look into it and take it down. For background on how fake offers usually look, our guide to spotting remote job scams in Nigeria covers the warning signs.

If the scammer used a foreign company's name

Fake remote employers often borrow the name of a real company in the UK, US or Canada. Tell that company through the contact or security page on its official website (type the address yourself, don't use links from the scammer). They can't refund you, but they can warn other applicants and get impersonating domains taken down.

Agencies abroad may also take reports:

• United States: the FTC takes fraud reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC: Job scams). The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says complaints may be referred to federal, state, local or international law enforcement, though its homepage doesn't say whether people outside the US can file.
• United Kingdom: the UK has its own national fraud reporting service. Check the official police or GOV.UK website for the current route.

Foreign reports rarely get money back for someone in Nigeria. Their value is in building a case against a scam network and getting fake domains shut down.

Can you get your money back?

Sometimes, but often not. Your chances depend mostly on speed and on how you paid.

• Bank transfer reported within hours: the best realistic chance, if the money is still sitting in the receiving account and the bank acts on it.
• Bank transfer reported days later: much lower, because scammers usually move funds quickly through several accounts.
• Card payments and some payment apps: dispute processes exist, so ask.
• Crypto and gift cards: the hardest to recover.
• Fake cheques: the risk runs the other way, because you may owe your bank money.

Be honest with yourself about the amount. Chasing ₦30,000 for months can cost more in time, data and stress than it's worth, but reporting still protects the next person. For larger sums, keep pushing the bank complaint, file the police report and consider speaking to a lawyer.

Watch out for recovery scams

After a scam, you may be contacted by someone offering to get your money back: a "fund recovery agent", "ethical hacker", "EFCC officer", law firm or even the original "employer" offering a refund. The FTC explains that scammers buy lists of past victims and target them with recovery offers, then ask for an upfront fee or bank details (FTC: Refund and recovery scams). In the FTC's words, anyone who asks for your personal or financial information or upfront fees in this situation is a scammer.

The FBI's IC3 also states that it doesn't work with law firms, crypto services or other non-law-enforcement organisations to recover lost funds, and that it never contacts people directly asking for money (IC3).

Treat these as recovery scams:

• Anyone who contacts you first, offering to recover your money
• Any "agent" or "hacker" who wants a fee before acting
• Someone claiming to be from a government agency who asks you to pay
• A "refund" that needs your BVN, card PIN or OTP

Hacker-for-hire posts in Twitter (X) replies and Instagram comments under scam stories are almost always this.

Getting back to your job search safely

A scam can make every remote job look fake. Most aren't, but your checks should be stricter from now on. Before your next application, read how to verify whether an international employer is legitimate and how to identify fake remote job offers. If the scam reached you on chat apps, our piece on avoiding remote job scams on Telegram and WhatsApp is worth reading.

Three rules cover most cases:

• Genuine employers don't charge you to apply, interview or get an offer. If anyone asks, see what to do if a remote job recruiter asks for money.
• Confirm the job on the company's own careers page, reached by typing the company website address yourself.
• Don't send your BVN, card details or passport scan until you've signed a contract with a verifiable company, and even then only through its official HR or payroll system.

Basic membership on WorkRemote.ng is free, and applying for jobs is always free. We review listings and aim to publish genuine remote roles open to applicants from Nigeria, but we can't check every detail, and employers decide who they hire. So carry on doing your own checks on any listing, wherever you find it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my money back after a job scam in Nigeria?

Sometimes, if you report to your bank quickly and the money hasn't left the receiving account. Call your bank's fraud desk the same day, get a ticket number and follow up in writing. If the bank doesn't resolve it within about two weeks, you can escalate to the CBN's Consumer Protection Department.

Should I report a job scam if I only lost a small amount?

Yes. A report creates an official record in case your details are misused later, and it helps banks and police link the same account numbers across many victims. It also gets the fake profile or listing removed before it reaches the next person.

I sent my BVN and NIN to a fake employer. What should I do?

Tell your bank right away and ask what protection they can add, then watch your alerts and SMS for unfamiliar transactions or loan messages. Keep a record of exactly what you sent and when. If someone later uses your identity, report it to the police and to the lender involved, with that record.

Will I get in trouble if the fake job had me move money for them?

You could be questioned, because forwarding stolen money makes you look like a money mule. Stop at once, don't forward any more funds, and contact your bank with the chat history that shows how you were recruited. If police contact you, get legal advice.

Someone on Instagram says they can recover my money for a fee. Is it real?

No. Recovery offers that ask for an upfront fee or your bank details are scams. The FTC says anyone asking victims for upfront fees or financial information to recover money is a scammer, and the FBI's IC3 says it doesn't work with private recovery services.

Should I confront the scammer or threaten to report them?

No. Warning them gives them time to move your money and delete accounts and chats. Save your evidence, report quietly, then block them once you've reported the account on the platform.

Can I report a fake foreign employer to authorities in the US or UK?

Yes, though it rarely gets money back for someone in Nigeria. In the US, the FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 refers complaints to law enforcement. Also tell the real company whose name was used, through its official website.

Key takeaways

• Act within hours: stop paying, call your bank's fraud desk, secure your accounts and save evidence.
• What you do next depends on what you gave away: money, a cheque, ID documents, passwords or device access each need different steps.
• The CBN's route is your bank first, then the CBN's Consumer Protection Department if your bank doesn't resolve it in about two weeks.
• Report to the police and the platform as well. Each report does a different job.
• Recovery is possible but not guaranteed. It's most likely for quickly reported bank transfers and least likely for crypto and gift cards.
• Anyone offering to recover your money for a fee is running a second scam.

Next steps

Today, work through the first-hour list and file your bank complaint. Then report the scam to the police and the platform, and keep your evidence folder up to date. When you're ready to apply again, browse remote jobs open to applicants in Nigeria. After a search, you can use "Get email updates" to receive a free daily email of new matching listings. Check each employer yourself before you share anything sensitive.

Sources

• Complaints Management, Central Bank of Nigeria
• What To Do If You Were Scammed, US Federal Trade Commission
• Job Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
• Refund and Recovery Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), FBI
• LinkedIn Help: reporting fake profiles and scams, LinkedIn
• Nigeria Data Protection Commission