LONDON — Thinking about finding work in the United Kingdom? Be careful when scouring the net for employment opportunities and job orders. Fake recruiters are everywhere, and applicants sometimes have a hard time spotting them since they use information and tactics to make their job offers sound convincing.
Here are some insider tips from the Embassy of the Philippines in London and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to help you spot bogus job orders and recruitment agencies:
1. Learn to recognize some of the warning signs of recruitment scams.
Bogus recruiters tend to ask for money as down payment or to serve as “processing fees” to secure “sure slots” for the jobs that are allegedly being offered in the United Kingdom. They ask that money be sent through courier services and often the proposed recipient is different from the one communicating with you.
Others ask for important personal information by asking you to fill out a simple online form to jumpstart the hiring process.
Be wary of recruiters that are more interested to hire you without so much as a phone interview or without trying to check if your skills match the jobs being offered.
Accredited recruiters take time to make sure that applicants are the right fit for a job or a company, rather than making sure that you take the job immediately.
Furthermore, be wary of website names that sound similar to legitimate organizations such as www.philippineembassyjobs.net or www.poea.org.
Especially be suspicious of those who drop the names of UK government organizations like the Home Office, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, and the UK Visas and Immigration and use their names in the electronic documents they send you.
Don’t rely only on electronic documents, especially don’t trust electronic Visas not processed by the UK Visa Center in Manila.
Only trust information from the following legitimate websites:
Embassy of the Philippines in London: www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph
Department of Labor & Employment: www.dole.gov.ph
Phil. Overseas Employment Agency: www.poea.gov.ph
2. Know what jobs are available for Filipinos in the UK.
Strict UK migration policy prohibits the recruitment for occupations not included in the UK Visas and Immigration Shortage Occupation list of workers from countries not part of the European Union/European Economic Area, such as the Philippines. This prohibition extends to positions such as au pairs, drivers, gardeners, cleaners, caregivers, nannies, and private nurses.
If someone is trying to hire you for those positions, you can be sure that it’s bogus.
View a complete list of legit job orders for the UK at www.poea.gov.ph.
3. Check first whether a job order or a recruitment agency and its employer is legitimate.
To do this, simply visit www.poea.gov.ph to view the list of legitimate job orders for the United Kingdom and to view a complete list of accredited recruitment agencies.
Double check if a certain recruitment agency is authorized to recruit manpower for the United Kingdom before pursuing any employment opportunities.
Accredited recruitment agencies underwent a strict evaluation process conducted by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to make sure that Filipinos seeking employment overseas are protected from bogus recruiters.
In case of anymore doubt, email polo_london@philemb.co.uk
While the Embassy extends immediate assistance to those who will fall prey to bogus recruiters, it’s still better to exercise due caution to avoid being scammed.
Remember, these bogus recruiters are not after your well-being. They are after your money.
If you sense something’s fishy, report it immediately to the proper authorities.
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Author’s email: fso.stacy@gmail.com
