The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has cautioned Nigerians against a growing wave of online recruitment scams, warning the public to be vigilant and avoid sharing personal information with suspicious contacts.

The commission issued the advisory on Tuesday via its official X account, noting that fraudsters are reaching out to unsuspecting individuals through platforms such as WhatsApp, emails and personal phone numbers, often posing as recruiters offering job placements.

PenCom disclosed that the scammers typically create a false sense of urgency, including imposing short deadlines such as 48 hours, to pressure victims into disclosing sensitive information.

It added that the fraudsters often request confidential documents to be sent to a so-called “secretary” through WhatsApp, describing the practice as a clear warning sign of fraudulent activity.

According to the commission, there have also been multiple reports of scammers impersonating its Director-General to gain the trust of potential victims.

PenCom advised Nigerians to ignore and delete suspicious messages or emails immediately, warning against forwarding such content to others.

The commission said it is closely monitoring the situation as part of efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s pension system from fraud-related risks.

The warning comes amid broader regulatory action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which recently shut down more than 400 illegal investment schemes across the country.