DFA warns Pinoys in Germany against new scam

A Philippine official warned Filipinos seeking jobs in Germany against an email-based recruitment scam seeking to fleece them of recruitment fees. The Department of Foreign Affairs cited a report from the Philippine Embassy in Berlin where two Filipino jobseekers almost fell prey to the scammers. “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 a.i. Christine Queenie Mangunay said in an article on the DFA website Saturday. Mangunay said the two Filipino women contacted the Embassy seeking assistance in verifying the authenticity of a company named Markel-Power International. The embassy official added the two Filipino women claimed Markel-Power, allegedly located in Bremen, Germany, told them via email that it would hire them. But the email advised the jobseekers they have to pay €70 (P4,608) through Western Union to an employment company based in Monza, Italy. The Embassy said it discovered Markel-Power International is non-existent, is not registered with the Bremen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has a fictitious address, has no telephone and fax numbers, and is using a host in the United States for its English website. Thus, the Embassy advised the two Filipinas not to pay the company any amount for their alleged recruitment. The DFA said this is a variation of the Nigerian 419 scam, also known as the Nigerian Advance Fee scheme, is a worldwide scam which involves the receipt an unsolicited letter allegedly from a Nigerian Central Bank employee or an official from the Nigerian government. It is named after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses fraudulent schemes. "The Embassy warns Filipino jobseekers of the scam and has asked the DFA to bring the matter to the attention of relevant government authorities such as the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Justice, and the Philippine National Police," the DFA said. – GMANews.TV