Department of Foreign Affairs building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon warned Saturday of an Internet scam offering fake jobs in Portugal in exchange for expensive processing fees exacted through money transfer.
In an advisory, the embassy noted “an upsurge” in the number of Filipinos who have fallen victim to the scam, carried out via email purporting to come from companies in Portugal offering jobs and visa processing assistance “through payment of exorbitant fees.”
“The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon would 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 Portugal,” read an Embassy statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs Saturday.
The embassy warned that scammers use the names of “real and even reputable” Portuguese companies using information from official websites, lending authenticity to their job offers.
Those who fall for the scheme are asked to pay fees for documents not really required by Portuguese authorities, including “entry clearance certificates,” “international overseas employment certificates” and “affidavits of guarantee fund.”
The embassy urged Filipinos hoping to land jobs overseas to be more discerning about Internet offers.
It said the requirement for fees for testing and processing documents prior to employment “is a sure sign of a scam.”
“The public is hereby advised to exercise due diligence and caution in dealing with unverified parties to avoid being victimized by these scams. Be aware that business companies with international dealings rarely hire employees solely on the basis of curriculum vitae but will always require personal interviews,” the embassy said.
The embassy said it was coordinating with Portuguese authorities and companies cited in the scams to issue their own public advisories.
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