01 April 2013 - The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon would like to remind the public to be extra cautious in making transactions over the internet with companies or individuals who purport to offer employment and issuance of entry/working visas to Portugal for a fee.
The Embassy has recently noted an upsurge in the number of Filipinos who have been victimized or have received emails from alleged companies or law firms in Portugal who offer jobs and/or promise to process entry/visa permits for employment through payment of exorbitant fees by money transfer.
In some cases, unscrupulous individuals have misrepresented real and even reputable companies in Portugal by using information on their websites but replacing their contact information. These individuals require payment of fees for “Entry-Clearance Certificates,” “International /Overseas Employment Certificates-(I/OEC)” and “Affidavits of Guarantee Fund,” all of which are not required by Portuguese authorities. The IOEC that these individuals are asking payment for, is not the same as the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for Filipino workers who will return to their workplace abroad.
The public is hereby advised to exercise due diligence and caution in dealing with unverified parties to avoid being victimized by these scams. The public should take note that business companies with international dealings would rarely hire employees solely on the basis of a curriculum vitae but will always require personal interviews. Prospective employees should likewise be wary of job offers from individuals who ask for fees for testing or processing of documents prior to employment because this is a sure sign of a scam.
The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon has been coordinating with companies in Portugal and with local police authorities to come up with their own public advisories related to this matter. This coordination work is mainly for the prevention of future scams and does not guarantee an assurance of recovery of monies already spent in dealing with spurious individuals.
Filipinos who wish to travel or work in Portugal or have other transactions may view the website of POEA (www.poea.gov.ph) for verification of job offers or email the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The public is also informed that Portugal maintains an Embassy in Jakarta, with address at:
Embassy of Portugal
Jalan Indramayu No.2 Menteng 10310
Jakarta, Indonesia
Phone: +6-221-319-0830; +6-221-319-08022
Fax: +6-221-319-08031
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.