Nigerian Doctor Exposed in Multi-Million Naira UK Job Scam Targeting Migrants

A Nigerian doctor has been exposed for orchestrating a fraudulent UK relocation scheme, preying on desperate migrants and job seekers by charging exorbitant fees for non-existent jobs in the UK care sector.

A BBC Africa Eye investigation uncovered the activities of Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, the founder of CareerEdu, who was secretly recorded discussing his fraudulent operation. Posing as a recruitment agent, he claimed that each job vacancy from a UK care home was worth £2,000 ($2,600), with an additional £500 ($650) commission. These slots were then sold to unsuspecting Nigerian job seekers, many of whom arrived in the UK only to find no job waiting for them.

Charging job seekers for employment is illegal under UK law. However, Dr. Alaneme justified the practice, stating that desperate candidates had no other option. “They are not supposed to be paying because it’s free. It should be free,” he admitted, before adding, “They are paying because they know it’s most likely the only way.”

One of the victims, identified as Praise, paid over £10,000 ($13,000) believing he had secured employment at a care company called Efficiency for Care in Clacton-on-Sea. Upon arrival, he discovered that the job did not exist and was left stranded, nearly homeless.

Further investigations revealed discrepancies in Efficiency for Care’s employment records. While it officially employed 16 people in 2022 and 152 in 2023, it had issued an astonishing 1,234 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to foreign workers between March 2022 and May 2023. The UK government revoked the company’s sponsorship license in July 2023, yet it continues to operate and denies involvement in fraudulent recruitment.

Dr. Alaneme was also found to be involved in fabricating payroll records to falsely present migrants as legally employed, allowing them to stay in the UK illegally. When confronted, he denied running a scam, insisting that CareerEdu only provided “legitimate services.” He claimed the money paid by victims went to a recruitment agent for transportation, accommodation, and training. He also said he had attempted to help Praise secure another job free of charge.

The investigation also uncovered another scam run by UK-based recruiter Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh. Victims across the UK claimed they were defrauded of nearly £67,000 after being promised care worker jobs that did not exist. Some of the Certificates of Sponsorship he issued were forgeries, copied from legitimate companies. When confronted, Agyemang-Prempeh denied wrongdoing, claiming he had also been “scammed.”

Matthew Bond, CEO of Borderless, a company specializing in immigration compliance, explained why such scams thrive. “A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is issued by a business that says, ‘I’m going to sponsor this individual.’ Without that, you can’t get a visa or travel to the UK for work,” he said. “Because so many people want these jobs, rogue agents have taken advantage of the system, charging candidates tens of thousands of pounds for these certificates.”

Another victim, identified as Harry, shared his devastating experience of losing nearly £9,500 (17 to 18 million Naira) to the scam. “I sold my properties, resigned from my job, took out loans from family and friends – all to move to the UK. Now, I have nothing,” he said.

“These scammers keep getting rich, using people’s sweat—people that have labored. Many of us travel with not just our dreams, but the dreams and hopes of our families. Now, everything is gone.”

In response to the investigation, the UK Home Office pledged to crack down on fraudulent recruitment practices. A spokesperson stated that the government is implementing stricter measures to prevent the abuse of the visa system and will ban businesses found violating UK employment laws from sponsoring overseas workers.

While the UK government ramps up enforcement, many victims continue to struggle with the financial and emotional damage caused by these fraudulent schemes. The investigation was carried out by Africa Eye and the BBC’s Global Disinformation Unit.