OFWs in Singapore warned vs. 'third country recruiting' schemes

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Singapore are warned of illegal recruitment schemes that promise jobs in another country in exchange for a hefty fee.

The Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Singapore said that it has received reports of "third-country recruitment" for alleged employment in Canada, Poland, Germany, and Malta. 

“Under these schemes, recruiters target already employed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), particularly household service workers, by posting online alleged job vacancies in the aforementioned countries. They then charge exorbitant fees for the supposed processing of visas and other documentary requirements,” the MWO Singapore said in its advisory on Friday.

“After payment, the recruiters disappear. In the worst cases, OFWs leave their current employment only to find out upon reaching the destination country that the promised job does not exist.” 

The MWO Singapore advised OFWs to only transact with recruitment agencies with valid job orders approved by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in the Philippines. 

OFWs can also verify job offers through DMW’s official website. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/ VAL, GMA Integrated News