The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) cautions overseas job applicants to be extra careful in considering employment offers through e-mail.
Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon has reported continuing cases of Filipinos who have been victimized or received e-mails from entities offering jobs and promising to process entry visas or work permits.
Cacdac said these unscrupulous individuals have represented real and even reputable companies in Portugal by using information on their websites but replacing their contact information. They require payment of fees for Entry Clearance Certificates, International Overseas Employment Certificates (IOEC), and Affidavits of Guarantee Fund, all of which are not required by the Portuguese authorities. In other cases, the email recipient is asked
to transact with designated travel agency that will process the necessary documents and visa required for the job contract for a fee.
Cacdac said the public should be aware that prestigious companies have their own human resource department that always require personal interviews and rarely hire employees through the internet.
If presented with a job offer for Portugal, workers are advised to request for a copy, which usually specifies employment details such as number of workers to be hired, the type of work with full description and complete information on the employer.
“Any unsolicited job offer through e-mail which requires payment of fees for testing, language seminar, documentation, and processing of visa and other travel documents is a sure sign of a scam,” Cacdac added.
He advised applicants to validate the authenticity of job offers with the POEA through its verification system at poea.gov.ph, hotlines 7221144 and 7221155; POEA Mobile Phone Application (downloadable via Google Play or App Store); Facebook and Twitter accounts; or visit its offices in Manila and the provinces.
