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OFWs warned of online recruitment rip-offs
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Posted on Oct 27 2006
If you’re one of those who are being recruited online for a hotel in Canada, watch out: It’s a hoax.
The Philippine Consulate General is warning all overseas Filipino workers in the CNMI who have received e-mails recruiting them for a hotel in Canada to be extra careful and not to engage in any transaction with the alleged company.
Philippine Consul General Wilfredo DL. Maximo said the recruitment is a scam by nonexistent persons and companies.
Maximo gave the warning after the Philippine Overseas Labor Office received inquiries from some OFWs on Saipan about recruitment activities being done through the Internet.
Labor Rep. Joan Lourdes Lavilla said in June this year that her office had received queries regarding job offers by a certain Karen Smith, who claimed in her e-mail that she is the assistant sales manager of the New Canada Hotel.
Lavilla verified with then Toronto-based Labor Attaché Rolando Rico Olalia, who informed her to advise OFWs not to fall prey to such recruitment activity where the recruiting company uses a post office box number and has a telephone number that just keeps ringing when they try calling it.
Olalia said the modus operandi for this scam is to ask for an advance payment ranging from $200 to $300 as evaluation fees. The applicants would then receive an e-mail informing them that they did not pass the so-called evaluation.
“Gone is the evaluation fee, which is non-refundable,” said Olalia.
Lavilla again received last week another inquiry about job openings for Canada being offered through the Internet by a certain Saido Sidibe, who claimed to be from Canada Employment Representatives. Sidibe gave a Madrid, Spain, address and telephone number.
She verified the address with Madrid-based Labor Attaché Jeffrey D. Cortazar, who told her that when the Labor office in Madrid contacted the number, it was learned that the number belongs to a residence—not a company.
Maximo said OFWs here in the CNMI should take caution and check with competent authorities before letting go of their hard-earned money.
