Beware of These Signs to Avoid Being Victimized by Illegal OFW Recruiters
It is a common knowledge that even with the wide range of information dissemination from POEA, still a lot of Filipinos becomes victims of illegal recruiters. Sometimes, it is because applicants are convinced and encouraged by their friends or family members.
It can also be because the said recruiter had already successfully deployed some workers abroad. However, we need to keep in mind that this does not come without implications.
Here are some of the signs that you might be dealing with an illegal recruiter.
The recruiter has a suspicious character.
It helps if you would double check the legitimacy of your contact person. Be wary of those who only present business cards without any other identification issued by their recruitment agencies or by the government. Also, if they appear to have no list of possible contacts in your prospect country or even proof of their partnership, it is likely a red flag that you are dealing with a sham.
Recruitment Agencies posing to be training agencies.
Recruitment Agencies function as a liaison to companies abroad seeking for Filipino workers. They take care of the necessary paperwork to ensure that you get to your destination without hassle. If they claim that you need to attend training sessions from them before you can leave the country and ask for some fees then you are likely facing some scammers.
They ask for excessive fees.
When applying abroad, you will surely be shown a lot of fees by your recruitment agency. However, what the agency could only collect is a placement fee and you should also be issued an official receipt. The placement fee must be equal to one month’s salary, exclusive of documents and processing costs. Make sure that you immediately get your official receipt after you hand in your payment.
The recruitment process is often delayed or unusually slow.
The purpose of recruitment agencies is to make the transition process fast and efficient for the potential Overseas Filipino Workers. If you have been given a tourist visa instead of a working visa, it is already suspicious. Working with fixers is also a big no-no.
They do not have an office.
It is better if you always do transactions with them in an office where they are required to post their POEA license. If your contact always opts to transact in public places such as coffee shops and fast food restaurants, you should already have doubts in your mind.
Working abroad is truly a dream for some, thus they sometimes ignore warning signs and are blinded by promises from those who have dubious characters. With huge money involve, it is better to be more careful and suspicious than regret it in the end.
