The warning signs of fraudulent agencies and fake job offers — and how to protect your money and documents.
Fraudulent agents prey on people who want to work abroad. They take fees, disappear, or send people into unsafe situations. Knowing the warning signs protects your money, your documents and your safety.
The most common scam patterns
- Guaranteed approval promises — no honest agency can guarantee a visa or a job.
- Urgency pressure: 'pay today or the offer is lost'.
- Large upfront fees before any documented progress.
- Refusal to give you a copy of the contract or written receipts.
- Vague or no licence details; no verifiable office address.
- Requests to hand over original documents unnecessarily.
How to verify an agency
- Ask for the licence details and the physical office address.
- Request receipts for every payment you make.
- Ask for document copies for each step as it happens.
- Cross-check the agency's claims against official requirements.
- Decline any arrangement that runs through personal accounts for 'faster processing'.
| Red flag | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| 100% approval guarantee | Walk away — it cannot be true |
| Full payment requested upfront | Insist on stepwise, receipted payments |
| No written contract offer | Refuse to proceed without documents |
| Secret 'special quota' fees | Report the agency and leave |
If you believe you are being scammed, stop all payments, stop sharing documents, keep every message and receipt, and report it to the police and the official authorities responsible for foreign employment.
