POEA issues warning on alleged jobs in Portugal

News Advisory
28 August 2014

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warns overseas job applicants to be extra careful in considering offers of employment through the internet.

Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said he has received a report from the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon of 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 visas or work permits through payment of fees by money transfer.

Cacdac said unscrupulous individuals have represented 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 (IOEC), and Affidavits of Guarantee Fund, all of which are not required by the Portuguese authorities. In other cases, the e-mail recipient is asked to transact with designated travel agency that will process the necessary documents and visa required for the job contract.

The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon cited the case of a Filipino national who was offered a managerial position in Grupo Salvador Caetano, a major Portuguese company. The company has already clarified that the employment offer was not real and that they have received several other reports of bogus job offers using the name of their firm.

Cacdac said the public should be aware that prestigious companies have their own human resource department that always require personal interviews and rarely hire employees through the internet.

“Any unsolicited job offer through e-mail which requires payment of fees for testing, language seminar, documentation, and processing of visa is a sure sign of a scam,” Cacdac added.