Offshore, rig and seafarer jobs pay well, and that is exactly why fraudsters copy them. Every week, job seekers are asked to pay for a “visa”, a “medical”, a “training slot” or a “processing fee” for a job that does not exist. This guide shows you how to tell a real offshore or seafarer vacancy from a fake one, and what to do if you are targeted.
The golden rule: genuine employers don’t charge you
A real oil company, drilling contractor, vessel operator or shipping line pays to recruit you. It does not ask you for money to get the job. If anyone asks you to pay before you start work, treat it as a scam until you have proved otherwise.
For seafarers, this is written into international law. The International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) says seafarers must not be charged, directly or indirectly, for being recruited, placed or given a job on a ship. The only costs a seafarer may have to cover are their own national medical certificate, seafarer’s book (discharge book) and passport. Visa costs are paid by the shipowner. Nigeria has ratified the MLC.
Red flags of a fake offshore or seafarer job
- You are asked to pay. For a visa, work permit, medical test, “offshore safety training” arranged by them, flight ticket, accommodation, “slot”, registration or processing. This is the biggest sign of all.
- You were offered the job without a proper interview. Real offshore roles involve checks of your certificates, experience and references.
- The email address is free or doesn’t match the company. A large company writing from a Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook address, or from a website name that is slightly different from the company’s real one.
- Everything happens on WhatsApp or Telegram. Genuine employers use their own careers website and company email.
- The pay is too good to be true. Very high salaries in dollars for people with no experience or certificates.
- You are rushed. “Pay today or lose your slot”, “only three places left”, “the vessel sails on Monday”.
- The advert has no clear employer. “A leading oil company”, “an international shipping firm” with no name, address or website you can check.
- They ask for your passport and money together. Sending a copy of your passport, BVN or bank details to strangers puts you at risk of identity theft as well.
- They sell certificates. Anyone offering STCW or other seafarer certificates without real training and assessment at an approved training institution is selling something worthless, and possibly illegal.
How to check a vacancy before you apply
- Find it on the employer’s own website. Go to the company’s official website yourself (search for it, don’t use the link in the message) and look for the job in its Careers section. If the job isn’t there, ask the company through the contact details on its official website.
- Check the company exists. In Nigeria, you can look a company up for free on the Corporate Affairs Commission’s public search, from the official CAC website (cac.gov.ng). A registered name alone doesn’t prove a job is real, but a company that isn’t registered at all is a warning sign.
- Check the email domain. The address should end with the company’s real website name (for example name@company.com), not a free email service.
- Never pay, and never send money “to be refunded later”.
- Ask someone who works in the industry. Experienced offshore workers and seafarers can usually spot a fake offer quickly.
Applying through Omadaily
On Omadaily, offshore, rig and maritime jobs link only to the employer’s own application page or email address, and every one carries a safety warning. We never charge job seekers, and nobody from Omadaily will ever ask you for money for a job. If someone uses our name to ask you for money, it is a scam.
If you have been targeted
- Stop all contact and don’t send any more money or documents.
- Keep the messages, phone numbers, account numbers and receipts.
- If you have paid, contact your bank straight away.
- Report the fraud to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its official website, efcc.gov.ng, or to the police.
- Warn others: tell friends and the groups where you saw the advert.
A real offshore career starts with the right training and certificates, and a genuine employer who pays you, not the other way round.
