The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration is warning against employment scams in the internet after receiving numerous queries and complaints about unsolicited e-mails, websites and other job advertisements that offer employment overseas which were found to be fake, a government press release said.

POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said more applicants are now using the internet to find jobs and many have been victims of illegal recruiters and job scammers.

Cacdac The modus operandi used by scammers include developing bogus company websites or blogs, advertising in legitimate online job search companies, sending mass emails, or entering discussion boards or forums that are frequented by overseas Filipino workers to lure their victims.

Cacdac also advised job applicants to be cautious of recruitment websites that use “poea” in their domain names or titles.

“POEA’s official website is poea.gov.ph," Cacdac said.

He warned that other websites with ‘poea’ attached to their domain names are not in any way connected with the POEA, and are not authorized or licensed to recruit Filipinos for overseas jobs.

These websites include jobspoea.com, facebook.com/pages/POEA-Jobs-Abroad, poeajobsabroad.org, poea-jobsabroad.blogspot.com, poeanursingjobs.info, poeaworkabroad.net., the press release said.

The POEA allows licensed recruitment agencies to advertise their job orders in their respective webpages or job search sites if the vacancies are covered by manpower requests of accredited employers, Cacdac added.

To avoid being preyed upon by scammers, the POEA chief identified indicative signs that the job offer is a scam, including 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.

If the e-mail address used has nothing to do with the real company; the job offer received through e-mail is unsolicited; and applicants are asked to pay in advance through a courier or remittance, the offer is also bogus, the press release said.

Other things to watch out for are mistakes in English grammar and spelling in the website or e-mail, money-back guarantee offer, the salary and other benefits such as free food and accommodation are too-good-to-be- true and applicants are asked to send details of bank or credit card account, it also said.

Cacdac also advised workers to apply directly with licensed recruitment agencies or submit resumes only to popular online job search companies to avoid being victimized by unscrupulous individuals.*

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