POEA warns against Internet recruitment

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Department of Labor and Employment are cautioning Filipinos on rampant bogus Internet recruitment.

POEA regional director Evelia Durato said both agencies are now vigilantly reminding the public specially those Filipino workers looking for overseas jobs to be wary of job offers through the Internet.

She said verifying the legality of such entities is just a telephone call or a text away and will save the applicant hassle, time and money if found to be illegal.

Durato said POEA and DOLE noted the emerging trend of recruitment and posting of job vacancies on the Internet that have provided unscrupulous individuals the opportunity to victimize workers in search of high-paying overseas jobs.

“Workers should be wary of such job offers in the Internet especially when the online recruiter requires them to deposit money to some unknown accounts to cover processing and other fees,” DOLE Secretary Arturo Brion said in a press report.

Brion said online recruitment scams requiring applicants to deposit money to certain accounts are most likely fraudulent.

It can be verified from POEA whether the agency or individuals posting vacancies in the Internet are licensed and whether the vacancies are complemented with appropriate job orders from abroad.

The POEA allows only licensed agencies and their legitimate representative to post vacancies and recruit Filipino workers through the Internet.

Meanwhile POEA is likewise warning those workers in Saudi of individuals granting fake Certificates of Employment or “waraqa”.

This, according to Durato, are being sold by syndicates in Saudi to run away and overstaying OFWs on the false promise that it makes them immune from arrests.  — Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP