Is a job abroad with a free ticket and no contract a scam?
Yes, this is one of the most dangerous offers: a job abroad with everything free, leaving fast, and the contract "on arrival" is how people end up in scam compounds or forced labour, with their passport taken. A legitimate overseas job has a contract you read and sign in the Philippines, through a DMW-licensed agency.
The offer often comes from a friend of a friend or a Facebook group: customer service in Cambodia, Myanmar, Dubai, Thailand, high pay, free flight and visa. Some victims are made to run online scams themselves. The free ticket is a debt you pay with your freedom.
What to check
- Ask for the contract now, in writing, and the name of the employer abroad.
- Check the agency on the DMW website. No agency, no deployment.
- A tourist visa for a "job" is a sign of illegal deployment.
- Search the employer and recruiter with "trafficking", "scam hub" and "illegal recruitment".
- Talk to the DMW or the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking before you leave. Tell family exactly where you are going and who recruited you.
Frequently asked questions
- Someone I know already went and says it is fine. Is that proof?
- People in scam compounds are often made to recruit friends. Insist on the contract and the DMW check anyway.
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