Beware of fraudulent UK job offers in the internet - 2007 POEA Advisory
NEWS ADVISORY March 16, 2007
Filipinos applying for work in the United Kingdom should take extreme
caution in dealing with internet job offers in light of recent surge in
fraudulent recruitment schemes.
The Labor Office of the Philippine Embassy in London has issued this
warning in response to several email requests from Filipino applicants
asking for assistance in verifying the authenticity of job offers in the
UK.
Filipino applicants must therefore be alert on the modus operandi of these
unscrupulous operators, such as the use of fake scanned recruitment
documents bearing the name and logo of employers in the UK. In most cases,
applicants are being led to believe that they have been accepted for some
positions and directed to send money to travel or remittance agencies
acting as middle agents.
Of late, even recruitment agencies in the Philippines have not been spared
from these overseas employment scams. Some agencies have reported
receiving fake manpower requests and employer’s registration papers sent
to them by these scam internet operators.
Labor Attaché Jun Rasul of the Philippine Embassy has advised all Filipino
applicants to carefully look into the internet job offer, verify the
authenticity of the documents attached to the email, and consider the
potential risks before getting swept away with, or deceived by, false
promises or offers.
The following are some of the schemes being used in defrauding the
desperate and unwitting applicants:
Sending “appointment letters” to
would-be victims and asking them to send money to travel agencies to
arrange for their travel requirements, including visas
Use of mobile phone or email as a means to contact the alleged
employer/agent (scammer)without giving any landline number, or if there
is one, the same cannot be contacted
Designation of unauthorized third parties or agents, and in some
cases, alleged UK immigration officers, to process their work permit
applications and visas
Use of fake and scanned recruitment documents such as special power
of attorney, recruitment agreement, manpower request, business or
registration papers and others
Use of incorrect employer’s address, post code, logo, telephone and
fax numbers, and the like
Use of fake website that purportedly contains the employers
information and other details, among others
To avoid being victimized by these scams, applicants must make sure
that the jobs actually exist by checking on the website of the employers,
its complete address, post code and contact details through search engines
like Google, Yahoo!, etc. Job seekers must always be skeptical of internet
employment offers that appear to be “too good to be true”, such as huge
salary offer, free accommodation and food, free use of amenities, and not
to deal with employers with no verifiable contact details.
It is also important to note that as a rule, UK employers do not ask for
any money or payment from applicants to secure a job, including expenses
for the work permit and visa applications. Moreover, applicants must
require the employer to send their employment contracts to the Labor
Office of the Philippine Embassy in London for the required verification
and authentication.
Filipino applicants are also advised to seek assistance from the POEA and
check the website of the British Embassy regarding the proliferation of
fraudulent job recruitment through the internet.
