Priya (name changed on request), a content marketer with over two years of experience, recently received a lucrative job offer from a renowned multinational company abroad with an attractive salary and a range of perks.
However, when something seems suspicious, Priya herself investigates. After digging deeper, she came to know that it was a scam perpetrated by fraudsters. Unfortunately, Priya is not the only person targeted by these scams; Many others have also become victims of lucrative job offers from fraudsters. The number of online job scams, especially related to overseas positions, has increased in recent times.
Rise of foreign job scams in India
According to a TNN report in April 2024, a placement agency in Bhayandar (East) duped more than 200 people across India of Rs 85 lakh by falsely offering them jobs in African countries and Iran. Another report reveals that on May 27, 2024, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested five persons on suspicion of running a fake job scheme.
Another job scam came to light in May this year. The Indian Embassy in Cambodia successfully rescued 60 Indian nationals who had become victims of fraudulent job offers in the country. The official website of the embassy has since issued guidelines for Indian job seekers, urging them to be cautious and exercise caution when considering foreign employment opportunities. “It has come to notice that Indian citizens are falling into the trap of human traffickers, attracted by false promises of lucrative job opportunities in Cambodia. These Indian citizens are forced to indulge in online financial scams and other illegal activities,” the advisory said. “Indian nationals wishing to travel to Cambodia for employment are cautioned to do so only through authorized agents. It is also advisable to thoroughly check the background of a potential employer in Cambodia.” Over the past few years, hundreds of job seekers from states including Kerala, Punjab and Gujarat have been duped through fake international job offers. Lakhs of rupees have been defrauded.
With the increase in such scams, it is essential to check carefully before accepting any job offer. A job offer that appears to be from Australia may actually be taking you to Cambodia or Laos, and trapping you in a scam. For your own protection, here are five important checks you need to do before agreeing to an overseas job offer.
Fake or real? 5 key ways to verify overseas job offers
Here, we have listed some ways to check the authenticity of a job offer. By following these you will be saved from becoming a victim of job scam racket.
Visit the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs
To access the list of recruiting agents, visit the Emigrate website emigrate.gov.in and go to the ‘Recruiting Agents’ tab. From there, click on the ‘Recruiting Agent List’ column, which will redirect you to a new page from where you can download a PDF file.
The same website will help you identify illegal foreign job recruitment agents identified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Once there, go to the ‘Recruitment Agents’ section and select the ‘List of Unregistered RAs/Illegal Agencies/Agents’ tab. This will open a new page displaying the state-wise list of known illegal agents.
Verify validity of company
To find out if a company is operating legally, verify its registration and licensing status in the claimed country. In India, this can be done through the website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). In other countries, you may need to access government or private databases, which may incur a fee (usually between $10-20). It is better to pay for this verification than to trust an unfamiliar company without checking it.
Be professional in your job offer
The actual job provides utmost professionalism and usually includes signatures of authorized personnel of the company. Be wary of logos that appear distorted or altered to resemble the original logo. Additionally, job offers filled with grammatical or typographical errors may indicate that they are fraudulent.
visit official website
A reputable company will usually have a well-maintained website with clear contact information and generally positive reviews from employees on sites like Glassdoor or LinkedIn.
Additionally, a company’s official website can provide important information about its work culture. Check the domain name and overall structure of the site. A well-organized, professional website is a good sign, while a poorly designed site may suggest it was created by scammers.
Consult Indian Embassy
It may be beneficial to seek assistance from the Indian Embassy or Consulate in the destination country to confirm the legitimacy of an employer.
