22 February 2005 – The Department of Foreign Affairs today warned the public to beware of fictitious employment and scholarship offers supposedly granted by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria.

The Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria reported that SPDC officials, in a disclaimer issued by the company in the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard on 15 February 2005, bared the “sting operation,” also known as a “419 Scam”. The SPDC called the public’s attention on the fraudulent use of the Company’s name and letterhead in Internet mails.

Ambassador Masaranga R. Umpa said that the fraudulent letters supposedly offers employment opportunities and scholarship grants. The letters are meant to mislead interested applicants in providing detailed personal information, which the perpetrators of the scam would then use for illegal transactions.

The DFA advises the public to be careful in providing personal information to individuals offering jobs and scholarships from transnational companies to avoid being victimized by fraudsters.  END

/jay