Finance Ministry Disowns Fake ₦50,000 Fee Demand for New Recruits

Finance ministry warns applicants to ignore fake ₦50,000 resumption fee message, describing it as a recruitment scam.

The Federal Ministry of Finance has dismissed as fraudulent a message directing newly recruited staff to pay a non-refundable administrative fee of ₦50,000 before resuming duty.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said the notice was the work of fraudsters attempting to exploit unsuspecting applicants by falsely claiming to represent the ministry.

According to the statement, the fake notice, titled “Administrative Update and Compliance Notice for Newly Recruited Staff,” claimed that the Human Resource Management Department had instructed successful candidates to pay an administrative fee before assuming duty.

The ministry categorically denied issuing such a directive, stressing that the message did not originate from any of its departments or authorised officials.

It explained that recruitment into the Federal Ministry of Finance is conducted strictly in line with the established procedures of the Federal Civil Service.

The ministry emphasised that applicants and newly recruited staff are never required to pay any administrative, processing or resumption fees at any stage of the recruitment, documentation or onboarding process.

It urged prospective employees and members of the public to ignore the fraudulent message and avoid making payments or sharing personal and financial information with those behind the scam.

The ministry also appealed to anyone who receives the fake notice or has information that could help identify those responsible to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement agencies or notify the ministry through its official communication channels.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, fairness and integrity, the ministry said it would continue collaborating with relevant authorities to protect Nigerians from fraudulent activities carried out in its name.

It further advised members of the public to verify all information relating to recruitment and employment opportunities through official government platforms before taking any action.

The ministry warned that fraudsters often exploit recruitment exercises to deceive job seekers and reiterated that only verified government communication channels should be trusted for employment-related information.