PH Embassy Warns Applicants: Beware of U.K. Jobs Offered Online

LONDON 04 September 2018 —The Philippine Embassy in London strongly warned Filipino jobseekers against dealing with online job orders and employment opportunities for positions in the United Kingdom such as au pairs (domestic assistant) drivers, gardeners, cleaners, caregivers, nannies and private nurses as advertised by online recruitment agencies.

The Embassy has seen an increase in cases of fraudulent overseas recruitment activities, and has reported them to Philippine and British law enforcement authorities.

“It is disheartening to see our kababayan duped out of their hard-earned money by nefarious online scammers who offer non-existent jobs,” said Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo.

“The Embassy urges interested applicants for employment opportunities in the U.K. to exercise due vigilance by verifying first with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) before parting with their funds,” the Ambassador added.

The strict UK migration policy currently prohibits the recruitment of workers from countries such as the Philippines that are not part of the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), such as the Philippines, if the jobs and skills are not included in the UK Visas and Immigration Shortage Occupation list.

However, most victims decide against pressing charges against the perpetrators, while authorities admit the task of running after the culprits would be extremely complex.

“This is why we have repeatedly advised applicants for overseas work to heed the guidance and policies of the POEA on seeking overseas employment,” said Labor Attaché Reydeluz Conferido.

“We warn them against dealing with unscrupulous individuals who offer jobs online because it is almost impossible to ascertain the true identities of these online recruiters,” Labor Attaché Conferido said.

The Embassy urges all applicants to check with POEA or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office nearest to them if the recruitment agencies are licensed, and to immediately report suspicious recruitment activity to the proper authorities.

All applicants may refer to www.poea.gov.ph for a complete list of valid job orders and accredited recruitment agencies for the U.K. END