The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has advised Filipino jobseekers to exercise caution when interacting with recruitment agencies online and to verify first their legitimacy to avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes and syndicates.
In its latest advisory, the DMW said the number of illegal recruiters posting fake overseas job opportunities are increasing on social media platforms and other websites. Some of these agencies even give false sense of credibility by posing as reputable organizations.
“These unscrupulous individuals are masquerading as legitimate recruitment entities by using the names, logos, and addresses of DMW-licensed agencies to entice prospective applicants,” DMW said.
DMW advised that if an applicant is required to make early payment of fees for a job offer through electronic transfer, it is a solid indication of a scam.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the legitimacy of a recruitment agency and its job offers can be verified through the DMW website at https://dmw.gov.ph.
“Also, any transaction relative to overseas job applications should be conducted within the registered business address of a licensed recruitment agency. Likewise, the collection of any fee from a worker must always be accompanied by an official receipt, which shows the amount paid and the purpose of the payment,” he added.
The DMW urges the public to stay alert and promptly report any suspicious or potentially illegal online recruitment activities to the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau at [email protected] or via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip.
