A RECRUITMENT SCAM USING GLOBAL HOSPITALITY
PLACEMENT AGENCY PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Land based Agency
Has anyone
of you received an email that looks like this? Don’t get your hopes up for this
is a SCAM!
My friend received
a very inviting email today stating that her husband is qualified for a job
placement in Canada and UK. Luckily my friend was smart enough to make sure if
the offer is real, so she forwarded the email to me for help. I would like to
mention that this was entirely my first time coming across something like this.
I went through the confusing yet elaborate email then I called the number
stated as the contact number for the official representative, BERNARDO SJ
RAMOS. After 2 rings I
was greeted by a gay sounding man who claims to be the owner.( he sound so
"parlor gay" or let’s say he’s doesn’t sound intelligent enough to
run an international job placement office) The moment I hear him speak, I was
immediately suspicious. The conversation was ugly, to cut it short, I slammed
the phone on him hoping it'll smash his ear drums. The next thing I did was run
a search on the POEA website (http://www.poea.gov.ph)
using the name of the Agency.
Turns out the said Agency, GLOBAL HOSPITALITY PLACEMENT AGENCY PHILIPPINES
CORPORATION is
a licensed agency and they are registered in the POEA’s list of validated Job placement
agencies for abroad. (as shown in the photo below).
This
is the very reason why people are easily tricked. Most people would easily trust
the email since the agency is validated by the POEA whoever, what happens is that
when you make the payment, it goes to the scam account and that the person answering
the calls to that bogus number is nothing but the scammer themselves. Unfortunately,
upon calling the POEA hotline (722-11-44) a lot has been fooled already
by this con. The POEA officer informed me that I wasn’t the first person who called
about it and they are very much aware of it. Turns out the scam has quite a
reputation already describing it as “The
bold letters in red email with the placement for Canada and London with a gay man’s
voice on the phone”. She mentions that the NBI has been working on this
case as well. Upon verifying further with POEA officer, the said agency DOES have current job postings
but NOT for Canada and London. She also added that legally operating job placement
agencies never asked for any payments for anything.
This prompted me to write this blog. I just want to raise awareness and
to help make sure that these rats wont fool anyone anymore. Checking the validity
of any offer is good (and should always be our approach on matters like this) BUT validating DEEPER
is the best. Never trust too quick especially on anything that has to do with money. There’s no harm in checking first 😊
