PETALING JAYA: Having a job is essential, but it is important to rely on trusted recruiters so as not to fall prey to those who swindle applicants.
A recent employment scam involving 16 Malaysians who were trapped in Cambodia has become the talk of the town following their rescue by Malaysian police in an operation in collaboration with Interpol, Aseanpol, the Foreign Ministry and Cambodian police.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan, who confirmed the victims were tricked via Facebook advertisements for employment opportunities, advised the public to be more careful when seeking high-paying foreign jobs.
In a press statement, he urged the public to cooperate with police and channel information about syndicates that mislead individuals and force them to engage in illegal activities.
“The victims claimed to have been duped by job advertisements on Facebook for customer service officer positions in Cambodia that offered lucrative salaries.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were compelled to operate as scammers and realised the true nature of their jobs only after arriving in that country.
“Police advise the public to be cautious about overseas employment opportunities offering lucrative salaries. This way, they will not be misled by irresponsible individuals (who are only out) for profit and self-interest.
“We welcome information about syndicates cheating Malaysians and forcing them to engage in illegal activities,” he said.
Meanwhile, social media expert Chuojashni Subramaniam said people are desperate after losing their jobs during the pandemic. This leads them to job scams, although they just wanted to regain financial stability.
Chuojashni said scammers lure victims with enticing promises and salary packages that blind them when discussing job offers.
The Instagram strategist and trainer also encouraged the public to seek more information before committing to a job.
She said this would prevent them from being scammed, such as those who were stuck in Cambodia.
“Not many people have a steady income during the pandemic, and in desperation, they sought an opportunity that could get them out of financial problems.
“We have to ask a lot of questions to understand what exactly we are getting into. Better yet, Google the potential employers to know if their name or phone number is legitimate or associated with scams.”
Chuojashni said scammers would show off a luxury lifestyle. This increases the desire of unsuspecting individuals and makes them want to be a part of the organisation so they could also earn high incomes.
As an Instagram strategist, she shows her trainees the different types of scams on social media and guides them on how to identify fraudulent postings and how to avoid them.
Employment agency Sono Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s operations head, Patrick James, said job advertisements on social media are always risky unless they direct one to a company website for hiring purposes.
However, he said LinkedIn plays an important role in the recruitment process as employers and employees will have equal opportunities to know each other.
“When applying for a job, always do a thorough check on the potential employer to ensure there are no red alerts.
“LinkedIn is a platform for professional networking and development and applicants should be aware of this. On the other hand, Facebook advertisements should be linked to an official company website,” he said.
