When you're desperate, you fall for things easily: the scam job ads on TikTok taking people's money
Lilian, a 35-year-old Kenyan living in Qatar, was scrolling on TikTok when she came across posts from a recruitment agency offering jobs overseas. WorldPath House of Travel, with over 20,000 followers on the platform, promised hassle-free work visas for jobs across Europe. The agency showed her documents that appeared to be legitimate, including work permits and envelopes with the promise of "Europe visas already." However, after transferring a deposit of 150,000 Kenyan shillings (approximately £870), Lilian received a document from an unregistered recruitment agency, Undutchables, offering her a role as a "fruits and vegetable sorter" in Amsterdam.
However, WorldPath House of Travel is not registered with Kenya's National Employment Authority. The agency's general manager, Nick van der Dussen, confirmed that WorldPath's recruitment effort was a scam. Lilian soon realized she had been duped when WorldPath ignored her repeated requests for a refund and claimed its phone number was out of service.
WorldPath is far from the only unregistered recruiter on TikTok. The Guardian identified over a dozen agencies that are not accredited with the Kenyan government, promoting warehouse, factory, hospitality, and security work around the world. Several accounts linked to alleged scams have since been deleted and apparently restarted under new usernames.
Six Kenyans who lost money to such agencies shared their stories with the Guardian. They paid between 100,000 and 545,000 Kenyan shillings to recruiters, selling their cattle, taking out bank loans, and borrowing from family and friends to cover commission fees for jobs that never materialized.
The recruiters on TikTok went to great lengths to convince job seekers of their legitimacy, including proffering falsified documents from a Toronto hospital and Canadian immigration authorities. In one case, an agency set up fake interviews with purported employers.
"When you're desperate, you tend to fall for things easily," says a jobless Kenyan who has not yet told his family that he lost more than 350,000 Kenyan shillings to an agency advertising on TikTok. "The office was good, in a good building, nice location, well-arranged, and several staff – I got the idea that this is something that is good."
Kenya's economy is stagnant, with youth unemployment of nearly 17% and a cost of living crisis that fueled mass protests last year. The Kenyan government is facilitating labor export to address unemployment and strengthen its economy through remittances. However, unscrupulous recruiters are taking advantage of desperate job seekers on TikTok.
About 62% of the population now uses TikTok in Kenya, up from 54% two years ago. At least one TikToker has faced criminal charges for soliciting money from dozens of Kenyans for bogus foreign jobs. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection released a list of over 30 blacklisted agencies and is investigating more than 150 others amid accusations of illegal recruitment practices.
However, agencies not on Kenya's public list of registered recruiters have continued to proliferate on TikTok. Halisi Affiliates, which was founded in December 2023, used the platform to advertise jobs across Europe and North America as an unregistered recruiter.
Nimo, a 27-year-old Kenyan, paid Halisi 150,000 Kenyan shillings in October 2024 to secure her sister a restaurant job in Romania. However, during Zoom calls with Halisi and over 50 other Kenyans who received the same offer, Nimo's sisters grew suspicious. They demanded their money back, but discovered that Halisi had closed down its office and social media.
Another victim, Sylvia Wairimu Maina, 31, paid Halisi a deposit of 100,000 Kenyan shillings in September 2024 for an assistant nursing role in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, arranged through Halisi's British partner, Global Employment Consultant. Halisi and Global Employment Consultant blamed each other for months-long delays, leaving Maina with "no money, no savings."
Global Employment Consultant is not registered under UK business records, nor do any registrations containing "GEC" match its activities or address. In November 2024, four of Halisi's five founding officers registered a new company called Fly With Halisi. By September this year, a Fly With Halisi account on TikTok came online, using a tweaked version of the Halisi Affiliates logo.
Halisi told the Guardian that it was "a victim of fraud by an overseas third-party partner" and left TikTok to allow for internal review and cooperation with Kenyan authorities. It said its office closure was "not an attempt to evade clients." However, the company denied any connection to the new TikTok account and did not answer follow-up questions about its offices' new business with the same name or Maina's case.
TikTok did not respond to multiple requests for comment, including a list of the accounts tracked by the Guardian. Neither WorldPath nor Global Employment Consultant responded to questions.
Lilian, a 35-year-old Kenyan living in Qatar, was scrolling on TikTok when she came across posts from a recruitment agency offering jobs overseas. WorldPath House of Travel, with over 20,000 followers on the platform, promised hassle-free work visas for jobs across Europe. The agency showed her documents that appeared to be legitimate, including work permits and envelopes with the promise of "Europe visas already." However, after transferring a deposit of 150,000 Kenyan shillings (approximately £870), Lilian received a document from an unregistered recruitment agency, Undutchables, offering her a role as a "fruits and vegetable sorter" in Amsterdam.
However, WorldPath House of Travel is not registered with Kenya's National Employment Authority. The agency's general manager, Nick van der Dussen, confirmed that WorldPath's recruitment effort was a scam. Lilian soon realized she had been duped when WorldPath ignored her repeated requests for a refund and claimed its phone number was out of service.
WorldPath is far from the only unregistered recruiter on TikTok. The Guardian identified over a dozen agencies that are not accredited with the Kenyan government, promoting warehouse, factory, hospitality, and security work around the world. Several accounts linked to alleged scams have since been deleted and apparently restarted under new usernames.
Six Kenyans who lost money to such agencies shared their stories with the Guardian. They paid between 100,000 and 545,000 Kenyan shillings to recruiters, selling their cattle, taking out bank loans, and borrowing from family and friends to cover commission fees for jobs that never materialized.
The recruiters on TikTok went to great lengths to convince job seekers of their legitimacy, including proffering falsified documents from a Toronto hospital and Canadian immigration authorities. In one case, an agency set up fake interviews with purported employers.
"When you're desperate, you tend to fall for things easily," says a jobless Kenyan who has not yet told his family that he lost more than 350,000 Kenyan shillings to an agency advertising on TikTok. "The office was good, in a good building, nice location, well-arranged, and several staff – I got the idea that this is something that is good."
Kenya's economy is stagnant, with youth unemployment of nearly 17% and a cost of living crisis that fueled mass protests last year. The Kenyan government is facilitating labor export to address unemployment and strengthen its economy through remittances. However, unscrupulous recruiters are taking advantage of desperate job seekers on TikTok.
About 62% of the population now uses TikTok in Kenya, up from 54% two years ago. At least one TikToker has faced criminal charges for soliciting money from dozens of Kenyans for bogus foreign jobs. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection released a list of over 30 blacklisted agencies and is investigating more than 150 others amid accusations of illegal recruitment practices.
However, agencies not on Kenya's public list of registered recruiters have continued to proliferate on TikTok. Halisi Affiliates, which was founded in December 2023, used the platform to advertise jobs across Europe and North America as an unregistered recruiter.
Nimo, a 27-year-old Kenyan, paid Halisi 150,000 Kenyan shillings in October 2024 to secure her sister a restaurant job in Romania. However, during Zoom calls with Halisi and over 50 other Kenyans who received the same offer, Nimo's sisters grew suspicious. They demanded their money back, but discovered that Halisi had closed down its office and social media.
Another victim, Sylvia Wairimu Maina, 31, paid Halisi a deposit of 100,000 Kenyan shillings in September 2024 for an assistant nursing role in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, arranged through Halisi's British partner, Global Employment Consultant. Halisi and Global Employment Consultant blamed each other for months-long delays, leaving Maina with "no money, no savings."
Global Employment Consultant is not registered under UK business records, nor do any registrations containing "GEC" match its activities or address. In November 2024, four of Halisi's five founding officers registered a new company called Fly With Halisi. By September this year, a Fly With Halisi account on TikTok came online, using a tweaked version of the Halisi Affiliates logo.
Halisi told the Guardian that it was "a victim of fraud by an overseas third-party partner" and left TikTok to allow for internal review and cooperation with Kenyan authorities. It said its office closure was "not an attempt to evade clients." However, the company denied any connection to the new TikTok account and did not answer follow-up questions about its offices' new business with the same name or Maina's case.
TikTok did not respond to multiple requests for comment, including a list of the accounts tracked by the Guardian. Neither WorldPath nor Global Employment Consultant responded to questions.
these scammers on TikTok r exploiting ppl's desperation 4 financial gain 
theyre making fake jobs & promises of easy money but its all a scam 
lilian lost 870 pounds + her savings over some "job" in europe lol what if she had invested that in herself instead? 
and kenya's economy is stagnant, so ppl r desperate for anythin. the gov cant blame it on just 'em. the fact that tiktok is doin nothing about these scammers is just fire 
gotta keep an eye out for these fake recruitment agencies
where we explore abandoned theme parks from around the world... I mean, have you ever seen pictures of the abandoned Six Flags New Orleans? Mind blown! And what's crazy is that some of these places are literally overgrown with nature, like they're trying to reclaim them or something... Anyway, back to TikTok scams... 
I'm so glad the Kenyan government is cracking down on these agencies, but can we talk about how fast TikTok updates their content moderation policies? Like, it's not even a month and new scammers pop up... 
Can't believe I'm saying this again... TikTok really needs to step up its moderation game when it comes to scammers 
. It's not that hard to spot fake recruitment agencies, but apparently, they're doing a decent job of fooling people who are genuinely looking for work. The stories of these people losing their savings and families' stability because of these scams are just heartbreaking 
.
. It's like, come on TikTok, you can do better than this! You have the power to shut down these accounts and protect your users 
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, but that shouldn't be an excuse for scammers to prey on them 
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. Desperation is a powerful thing, and when you're feeling that way, you can easily get taken advantage of. I know people who have been scammed like Lilian, and it's just devastating. The fact that these agencies are using fake documents and convincing job seekers with lies just makes me so angry 
. We need to be more careful and do our research before handing over our hard-earned money. The economy in Kenya is really struggling, and I can see why people would be tempted by these promises of a better life 
. But we need to stand up against these scammers and protect ourselves and our loved ones 
its like they just want to take advantage of us while we're desperate 
the fact that they're using real documents and even fake interviews to scam people is just mind-blowing 
. I mean, come on, it's not like these agencies are hiding in plain sight or anything - they're actually trying to take advantage of desperate people who just want a better life for themselves and their families 
.
ugh, these people on TikTok need to stop using recruitment agencies that arent legit 
it's so easy to fall for them when ur in a desperate situation 
lilian's story is crazy, 150k shillings down the drain and she got nothing 
so people can be careful when applying for jobs online 
TikTok is basically like an open market where scammers thrive... 
gotta be more careful w/ ur finances especially wen ur feelin desperate cuz thats when u r most likely 2 fall for it 
.
. We can't just sit back and let people get scammed like this 
lilian paid 150k shillings and got a doc that said she had a visa already but it was just some random dude on tiktok trying to make a buck 
like, how do u not fact check something before handing over ur cash?!? 
. It's just cruel that these scammers take advantage of people who are really struggling and can't even afford a basic life 
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. It's time for us to take a stand and support each other in this fight against scammers!