Gullibility makes fraudsters – this folk proverb shall be a good warning to the countrymen who are going to be employed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland from the 1st May. Newly opened labor markets are waiting for the Poles who want to use their opportunity to earn money but fraudsters are rubbing their hands.
In general, these are people determined in search for work who hoist on the petard. False intermediaries tempt employees with high salary in foreign currency, organized transport, accommodation and sorting out all the formalities at the foreign language employer. They demand deposit in exchange for this "brokerage". Then they vanish in the air.
- Since May this year we have had several such cases and only some of them were reported to the police as for the others, cheated people had no evidence. The scenario was always the same - ad with a contact phone number in the press or the Internet: " We are urgently looking for an employee to work abroad, high earnings". During a telephone conversation with the candidate they claimed to be representatives of well-known employment agencies such as for example: Adecco. After the expressway recruitment the volunteers were instructed to pay money to cover travel costs, accommodation, or prepare necessary documents for the new employer. Contact with the agent broke off after transfering the money. Concerned candidates contacted us to determine what is happening and ... they were told that they are victims of fraud - says Przemysław Osuch, Business Development Director of Adecco Poland.
Blessing in disguise
This way, without any personal contact, swindlers posing as employees of Adecco, were pocketing money from people looking for jobs abroad.
- I was saved by misunderstanding. On the internet, I found an announcement that they were looking for women to clean up the BMW showroom in Germany. They promised high earnings. I live close to Germany, I have a daughter in Poland, not far to work from home - not when I had worked in the UK some time ago. I called them straight away. In a brief conversation, I learned that the "organizer" is Adecco company - the man who claimed to be its employee, praised the company experience in foreign recruitment, asserted that it is safe, reliable and above all highly paid, EUR 1800 a month net. At the end he informed me that to get the code to log on the website with that offer I had to pay 200 euros. I was given the account number. We agreed to transfer the code in the facility - I was sure that he meant Adecco ...but the fraudster meant the bank where I was supposed to deposit the money. Before I arrived at the appointed place, I called the "middleman" indicating that the address given by him is not Adecco facility. Once he became upset, the situation seemed a little suspicious and I decided to check it out at source. It turned out that I was almost cheated for 200 euros ... I reported the case to the police. In retrospect, I can say that no great loss but some small profit. I found a nice job in Germany through Adecco – says Anna from Szczecin.
Stitched with thick thread
Another story also ended with "happy ending" by accident.
- Work in Germany, hotel housekeeping, communicative language - it looked interesting. In a telephone conversation it turned out that there are only two places available and a lot of volunteers, so if I am determined, I have to pay PLN 650. The red light lit when the "recruiter" claiming to be a representative of a large international staff recruitment agency asked me to pay money through the portal, which proved to be an online currency exchange! After logging in, one select a currency he wants to exchange and introduces a number of bank account involved in the transaction. It is possible to select the account for return transfer - your own account or another - in this case it would be the cheater’s account. Secondly, the interview took place on Saturday, a courier had a contract to be delivered on Sunday. I wondered that the agency operates on non-working days. The fraudster explained that this is a unique situation, because the client is in urgent need for workers, he simply began shouting. Suddenly he changed conditions and wanted to give me the contract at the exchanges - on Saturday. This confirmed my assumption as to his credibility. I called the office of the agency, which he supposedly represented, it turned out that there is no such man working here - says Mrs. Małgorzata from Poznań.
Nothing on your own
Despite the opportunities offered by foreign labor markets, one must exercise extreme caution in the selection of the job offers. Companies that specialize in recruitment can help.
- Legal agency never collects money for finding a job, it does not "withdraw" it from salary and does not send an employee without providing them with the contract to work abroad, which confirms conditions of employment. Candidates looking for work through such companies as Adecco acquire full knowledge not only about the nature of work and development opportunities on a particular position, but also the specific conditions of life abroad, including cost of living and working system. It allows you to minimize risk and avoid disappointment. In addition, the recruitment agency helps to organize a trip to the workplace including travel planning, helps to find accommodation and supports you with completion of all necessary formalities - but as I mentioned, never gets a fee from the candidate. We appeal to all those planning to leave for work abroad to check the intermediary - advices Przemyslaw Osuch.
In accordance with Article 85 of the Act of 20 April 2004 on employment promotion and labor market institutions (Journal of Laws No. 99, item. 1001, as amended) the recruitment agency which assignes somebody to work abroad is obliged to conclude with such person a contract to work abroad with the following information:
- all the data of foreign employer,
- the period of employment or other wage labor,
- the nature and conditions of work and remuneration, as well as social benefits vested in a person assigned to work abroad,
- conditions of social insurance, personal accident insurance and insurance against tropical diseases,
- duties and powers of the person assigned to work abroad and of employment agency,
- the scope of liability in case of non performance or improper performance of a contract concluded between the recruitment agency and a Polish citizen, including Party that covers the cost of return of such person assigned to work in case of default of a foreign employer with terms of the agreement and the procedure to investigate such claim,
- amounts due to employment agencies for actual costs associated with the job abroad incurred for: arrival and return of the person, issuance of visa, medical examination and translation of documents,
- information about the mode and conditions of admission of foreigners to the labor market in the country of the job.
What an employment agency may charge you for:
In accordance with Article 85, paragraph 2 point 7 of the Act of 20 April 2004 on employment promotion and labor market institutions, as amended, it is allowed to charge for actually incurred costs associated with the assignment to work abroad, i.e. the costs incurred for: arrival and return of the person, issuance of a visa, medical examination and translation of documents - provided that these charges are given in an agreement with a person directed to work abroad.
What agencies may not charge you for:
An employment agency which assign people to work abroad, look for employment or other wage labor may not charge fees other than those listed above, that means: arrival and return of the person, issuance of a visa, medical examination and translation of documents. It is prohibited to charge prepayments, deposits and fees for search and identification of a foreign employer, in particular such as maintenance fees, employee salaries, fees for rental of premises, travel costs of agency staff, recruitment, postal and telecommunication services, prints, advertisements and newspaper advertisements.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
Each agency that conducts recruitment for employment abroad must have an appropriate certificate. List of certified companies is available on (http://www.kraz.praca.gov.pl/). In case, the candidate has any doubts about the agency, it can check its credibility in the Provincial Labour Office.