The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has continuously receiving complaints against illegal recruiters based on the internet which lead them to finally give warnings to jobseekers on how to detect internet job scam.

According to POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac more applicants use the internet to find jobs and with the popularity of internet-ready gadgets, and job search and social networking websites, they become easy victims of illegal recruiters and job scammers.

He also added that to attract attention from applicants, illegal recruiter joins social networking sites and online forums. They also create bogus company websites, advertise in legitimate online companies and send mass emails.

To avoid getting lured by illegal recruiters, Cacdac advised jobseekers to apply only in POEA-licensed recruitment agencies or send their resumes only to popular overseas recruitment websites.

The POEA lists down tips on how to identify illegal recruiters:

•         Applicants are asked to send resume and application through postal mail or drop boxes.
•         The website is crudely made with incomplete links and information about the company
•       The e-mail address used has nothing to do with the real company
•        The job offer received through e-mail is unsolicited
•        Mistakes in English grammar and spelling in the website or e-mail
•        Applicants are asked to pay in advance through a courier or remittance company supposedly for training, work permit, and other travel documents
•        Money-back guarantee offer
•        The salary and other benefits such as free food and accommodation are too-good- to-be- true
•         Applicants are asked to send details of bank or credit card account

Cacdac also warned the public about websites that uses the name POEA in their domain and website names. He reminded the public that the only and official website of POEA is www.poea.gov.ph.

“Other websites with ‘poea’ attached to their domain names, e.g. jobspoea.com, facebook.com/pages/POEA-Jobs-Abroad, poeajobsabroad.org, poeajobsabroad.blogspot.com, poeanursingjobs.info, poeaworkabroad.net, are not in any way connected with the POEA and are not authorized or licensed to recruit Filipinos for overseas jobs,” Cacdac said.

The POEA allows licensed recruitment agencies to advertise their job orders in their respective webpages or job search sites if the vacancies are covered by manpower requests of accredited employers.