Markel-Power International: Beware of non-existent jobs abroad

Got a job offer that’s too good to be true? Think again, that could be far from the truth.

A scam directed to job seekers looking for vacancies in a purported German company was unveiled by the Philippine embassy in Berlin.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the embassy said the two Filipinas contacted the diplomatic post to verify the background of Markel-Power International, allegedly located in Bremen, Germany, which informed them through e-mail that they would be hired by the firm. The company advised applicants to complete the recruitment by paying 70 Euros to an employment company based in Monza, Italy.

After simple verification, it was found out that Markel-Power International is non-existent, not registered with the Bremen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has a fictitious address, no telephone and fax numbers, and is using a host in the United States for its English website.

“The embassy is convinced that this recruitment scheme is another variation of the Nigerian 4-1-9 advanced fee scam designed to victimize innocent Filipino job seekers,” Chargé d’Affaires Christine Queenie Mangunay said.

The Nigerian 4-1-9 scam, also known as the Nigerian Advance Fee scheme, is a worldwide scam that involves the receipt of an unsolicited letter allegedly from a Nigerian Central Bank employee or from the Nigerian government.

It is named after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses fraudulent schemes.

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