Nurses warned of 'Toronto hospitals' recruiting scam

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto warned the the public against a scam circulating by e-mail which offers Filipino nurses non-existent jobs in Toronto-based hospitals.

A report from the Consulate Generalsaid the e-mail contained offers for work with Shouldice and other hospitals in Toronto. It invites nurses to "coaching interviews" conducted by staff of the said hospitals in Makati in preparation for suppposed interviews to be conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Manila.

Participants are made to pay a fee of P3,888 for the "coaching interview," which is a prelude to a two-day seminar at the completion of the initial consultationm the Consulate said.

According to Shouldice Hospital, it has been represented illegitimately and falsely by an "unidentified" agency in the Philippines as conducting interviews of nurses. These Filipino nurses have been sent e-mails supposedly from Shouldice Hospital.

The hospital has been receiving at least 100 e-mails and telephone inquiries about the coaching interviews by its staff in a Makati location, for potential employment in its hospital in Thornhill, Ontario. These would-be participants are asked to send money via Western Union, specifically to somebody using Shouldice Hospital's officers including its chief executive officer.

The Consulate General "advises recipients to be wary of such invitations, especially those that demand money from potential applicants."