MANILA, May 4 – Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz advised job-seekers wanting to work overseas, especially in the United Kingdom, to be wary of fake job vacancies posted in the internet.
The labor chief reiterated the new warning of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to job applicants to be cautious of job vacancies posted in the internet as advertisements enticing Filipino workers to apply for non-existent jobs in the United Kingdom are now circulating in the social media.
“I advise jobseekers to be extra careful when looking for overseas job. Deal only with legitimate recruitment agencies and check with the POEA for proper guidance,” Baldoz said.
According to the POEA, one Facebook account maintained by the scammer used the name of a Philippine licensed recruitment agency to solicit applicants for jobs as factory workers, drivers, gardeners, cleaners, caregivers, nannies and private nurses for UK.
POEA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the ads show signs of fraudulence and should be ignored by job seekers.
Upon verification with the POEA’s database, however, the agency’s job orders from UK were only for nurses and mostly for National Health Services (NHS) hospitals, Cacdac said.
Cacdac said that as a rule, given the strict migration policy of the United Kingdom, household jobs are not allowed to be recruited from non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries. The Philippines is not part of the European Economic Area.
“The Facebook advertisement is fraudulent because it promises overseas jobs through direct hiring, without placement fee, and a monthly salary as high as Php200,000, which are too good to be true,” said Cacdac.
Cacdac said internet-based scammers have been using the name of legitimate employers and licensed agencies to attract unsuspecting victims
He advised applicants to always verify with the POEA the authenticity of published employment ads found in the social media. (DOLE)