Tips to Avoid Being a Victim of Illegal Recruitment ~ Travel and Immigration 101

A high monthly income with additional allowance, and other incentives. Sounds too good and very tempting right? But don't you know that every year hundreds of victims suffer financially and emotionally while the perpetrator enjoys the loot of their crimes. Some come forward and complain others remain silent in shame. Illegal recruitment has caused some families to break up. Criminal cases crop up as a result of non-payment of loans obtained to settle placement fees for non-existing jobs abroad. Others had gone to the highlands and joined leftist group rather than face their creditors and be subjected to humiliation by friends, neighbors and even family members.

But how to stop illegal recruitment? Illegal recruitment has been with us for so long yet it seems that not much has been done about it. We all know that illegal recruitment is a crime. But why let ourselves be a victim after all? Is it because we want to gamble, win and take it all? Or it is a simple failure on our part to recognize what is genuine and what is not.

The keywords are failure to recognize what is genuine and what is not. No person in his right mind would like to be gypped or in Filipino term “Walang taong gustong maloko”.

Illegal recruitment is pure and simple "Pangloloko" and illegal recruiters are con artists and masters in the art of fraud and cheating. Therefore the best way to eradicate illegal recruitment is for us to recognize what is genuine and what is not.

Here are some tips to avoid being a victim of Illegal recruitment.

Do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA.
Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.
Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.
Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority.
Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee. It should be equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.
Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.
Do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers.
Do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment.
Do not accept a tourist visa.
Do not deal with fixers.