Where to Get Help if You Have Been Scammed by a Japa Agent

Written by Tezor Dedam

In 2008, Collins moved to Malaysia at 19 years old. For the next 12 years, he lived in Malaysia, the Maldives, and Singapore. For most of his stay in Asia, his girlfriend’s father’s company had been sponsoring his visa. In 2020, he returned to visit his family in Port Harcourt. During this time, he had a fallout with his girlfriend, and over the next few weeks, she had his visa cancelled.

Later that year, he made a friend through his younger brother. This friend, a travel agent, had assured Collins that he could help him get a job in Europe, since the agent had lived and worked in Cyprus.

“I trusted him, and I gave him ₦2 million to get me a job”

Photo: The Citizen

A month later, the agent called Collins with news of a job in Norway. He sent the job agreement, which Collins took to Abuja to further the process. At the end of this process, he spent an additional total of ₦4.38 million on biometrics, authentication of results, verification of bank statements, work permits, domestic flight tickets, etc.

A few weeks later, he got an email from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Abuja, stating that he had been banned from entering Europe for the next five years for forging a job agreement. He tried to reach out to the agent, who was back in Cyprus, but to no avail.

According to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), 3.6 million people left Nigeria between 2022 and 2023. This represents a growing number of people like Collins who have successfully relocated in the past. But it also represents a wider group of people, like Collins, who are still trying to leave Nigeria. That’s a wide pool of people who can get scammed. So we did the hard work for you. Here is where to get help if you have been scammed by a travel or “japa” agent.

Alert your bank, ASAP

You may sense you’ve been scammed in an instant, or it may slowly dawn on you. Either way, the moment everywhere starts to blur, contact your bank. Give them all the details: the amount, transaction date, recipient bank details, etc. You should probably also provide evidence of your communication with them. If the bank is too slow, contact the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Protection Department after a few days. The bank can freeze the said account if you act promptly and with enough evidence.

National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA)

The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) oversees travel agents and tour operators in Nigeria. You should have checked with them to verify your agent, but it’s probably too late at this point, so you should make your report to them. NANTA can use unspecified measures to sanction the agent. But if they are not a NANTA member, then this will not help much.

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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

Photo: Business Day

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has an online portal, an app, and an email address where you can contact them. Be prepared to apply more pressure and visit their offices in this case, because responses can be slow. You should also document all correspondence with the EFCC for evidence if you have to escalate the matter beyond them

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC)

Source: FCCPC

The FCCPC is typically used for consumer protection and can be overlooked in this case. But if the scammer used a registered agency that provides goods and services to consumers as a cover-up, the FCCPC has enforcement power to order refunds and escalate the matter further. Being that it serves as the apex consumer protection and anti-trust authority with a broad mandate across commercial sectors. You can reach them for free at consumer.gov.ng or by email at contact@fccpc.gov.ng.

Report in the person’s country – if they are abroad

If the scammer is abroad, you can also find the agencies responsible for fraud and scams in the respective countries. In the US, the FBI’s IC3 (ic3.gov) takes reports. If they are in the UK, Action Fraud is the way to go. If they are in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is the responsible agency. If you can do this concurrently with filing complaints here in Nigeria, it could have a much stronger chance.

One of the saddest things about japa scams is that they prey on the simple desire for a better life. This better life is worth chasing; it just shouldn’t cost you everything.