Scammers post fake jobs in the name of UN agencies and large NGOs, mostly on WhatsApp, Facebook and by e-mail. Their goal: make you pay "fees" or obtain your identity documents. Real humanitarian organizations never charge for recruitment.
8 warning signs
- You are asked for money: processing, training, visa, flight, insurance or "reservation" fees. The UN states clearly that it does not ask for any payment at any stage.
- A free e-mail address (gmail.com, yahoo.com, outlook.com) instead of the official domain (unicef.org, unhcr.org, wfp.org, msf.org…).
- A job with no interview, or an interview by chat only.
- A salary that is too good for the role, or paid in foreign currency "on arrival".
- Urgency: "reply within 24 hours", "last place available".
- A required travel agent or lawyer for the visa or work permit.
- Spelling mistakes, blurry logos, a foreign phone number as the only contact.
- The job is not on the organization's official site.
How to check a job offer
- Look for it on the organization's official careers site. On Humanitaires Jobs, the "Apply" button always leads to the official vacancy.
- Check the e-mail domain letter by letter (unicef-jobs.org is not unicef.org).
- Pay nothing and send no passport or bank details before checking.
If you have been scammed
Stop all payments, keep the messages and receipts, report the scam to the organization whose name was used (fraud or contact section of its official site) and to the police or cybercrime unit in your country. Warn your contacts: the same scammers often write to several people in the same group.
To receive verified jobs only, create a free alert.