Seafarers’ Internet Job Application Scams

POEA issued an announcement in early October regarding proliferation of employment seafarers’ job scams in the internet. More applicants use the internet to find jobs and with the popularity of internet-ready gadgets, and job search and social networking websites, they become easy victims of illegal recruiters and job scammers.

According to POEA administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac, these unscrupulous persons committing the internet job scams build bogus company websites or blogs, advertise in legitimate online job search companies, send mass emails, or enter discussion boards or forums that are frequented by overseas Filipino workers in order to lure their victims.

Some indicative signs that the job offer is a scam are listed below:

• The website is crudely made with incomplete links and information about the company
• Applicants are asked to send resume and application through postal mail or drop boxes
• The e-mail address used has nothing to do with the real company
• The job offer received through e-mail is unsolicited
• Mistakes in English grammar and spelling in the website or e-mail
• Applicants are asked to pay in advance through a courier or remittance company supposedly for training, work permit, and other travel documents
• Money-back guarantee offer
•  The salary and other benefits such as free food and accommodation are too good-to-be- true
• Applicants are asked to send details of bank or credit card account

Moreover job applicants should also be cautious of recruitment websites that use “poea” in their domain names or titles. poea.gov.ph is the official website of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. Other websites with ‘poea’ attached to their domain names, e.g. jobspoea.com, facebook.com/pages/POEA-Jobs-Abroad, poeajobsabroad.org, poea-jobsabroad.blogspot.com, poeanursingjobs.info, poeaworkabroad.net, are not in any way connected with the POEA and are not authorized or licensed to recruit Filipinos for overseas jobs.

Offering jobs for money is illegal and is almost certainly likely to be fraudulent if advertised on the internet, even if the site looks professional.

A useful small guide on what to avoid and/or what to do when searching for a job through internet has been developed by Marine Insight.

Source: POEA