06 November 2015 – The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon would once again like to remind the public to be extra cautious in making transactions over the internet with spurious companies and individuals offering employment and issuances of entry/working visas for companies based in Portugal.

The Embassy has recently noted continuing cases of Filipinos who have been victimized or have received e-mails from alleged companies or law firms in Portugal who offer jobs and/or promise to process entry/visa permits for employment with Portuguese companies through payment of 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. The perpetrators of this scam have gotten more sophisticated, even to the extent of setting up fake websites of law firms or agencies that they claim are going to process documents for the employment offer.

These people usually require payment of fees for Entry Clearance Certificates, International Overseas Employment Certificates (IOEC), 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 Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) legitimately issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

In most cases, the victim is asked to transact with a designated travel agency or law firm who will process the necessary visas and paperwork required for the job contract. This is how they deprive you of your money.

The public is hereby advised to exercise due diligence and caution in dealing with unverified parties to avoid being victimized by these scams. Please be aware that business companies with international dealings rarely hire employees solely on the basis of curriculum vitae but will always require personal interviews. Prospective employees should likewise be wary of job offers from individuals who ask for monetary fees for testing or processing of documents prior to employment because this is a sure sign of a scam.

It should be noted that employment offers from Portugal for foreign nationals have a corresponding job order issued by the Portuguese government as the hiring company must justify the need to hire a foreign national instead of a local. Likewise, the job order would usually specify the number of workers to be hired, the type of work with full job description and complete information of the employer. It should also be noted that there is a quota for employment visas for foreign nationals that is reviewed periodically by an inter-agency body. If presented with a job offer for Portugal, please request for a copy.

The public may contact the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if they receive such offers online so the particulars of the job order or offer can be verified. END