Labour experts warn of fraud against workers wanting to head abroad

People in Sóc Trăng Province read leaflets about getting work overseas. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Phi

HÀ NỘI — Sending workers to work abroad had many positive changes in the first six months this year, however, fraud in the export of labour still occurred, said managers.

Phạm Viết Hương, Deputy Director of the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said that in the first six months of the year, the number of Vietnamese workers sent to work abroad under contracts had increased.

By June 19, more than 78,000 people went to work in another country, reaching 62.4 per cent of the year’s plan.

However fraud in the sector was still too frequent, was complex and sophisticated, he said.

Scammers often take advantage of some people's eagerness to quickly go abroad to defraud and appropriate their money.

Most recently, in mid-May, the MoLISA warned that a number of organisations and individuals were impersonating legitimate work agencies.

They pretended that they had been selected by the MoLISA and Australian Government to take workers to work in the Australian agriculture sector.

To try and prevent the problem, the MoLISA requested localities to give sufficient information and education to people to be vigilant against swindlers.

Hương said that along with coordination with media agencies to warn about the issue, the DOLAB also gave warnings about online frauds.

"In addition to educating them on legal regulations, we inform workers arising problems to reduce negative issues, thereby raising their awareness and minimising fraud,” said Hương.

Another common fraud came from organisations and individuals promising workers to help them pass the Korean language exam so that they would be sure to go to Korea to work.

Phạm Ngọc Lan, Deputy Director of the Overseas Labour Centre said: "Workers’ desire to find ways to pass the Korean language exam is a common need. But the programme that we are implementing is very transparent and fair for all workers. Therefore, no individual or organisation can improperly interfere."

To avoid falling into scams, workers are first asked to arm themselves with all the relevant information.

They should contact businesses that are licensed to send workers abroad at their official phone numbers and websites posted on the enterprises' licences and on the DOLAB’s website www.dolab.gov.vn.

The workers can also get information from the website of the Overseas Labour Centre at www.colab.gov.vn. — VNS