A flood of online offers; NoRKA warns of foreign job scams

Many Keralites seeking job opportunities abroad have reported falling victim to scams involving fake advertisements in recent times. In response, Roots, the field agency of the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA), has urged the public to be cautious about job offers advertised on new media platforms.
Check the legitimacy of recruiters

The increase in complaints seems to have prompted NoRKA to issue this advisory. They suggest that individuals verify the details of recruitment agencies and employers featured in these advertisements. One way to check the legitimacy of a recruitment agency is by using the Ministry of External Affairs’ e-migrate portal (https://emigrate.gov.in). This platform allows job seekers to confirm whether the agency is accredited.

Additionally, all advertisements should display the recruitment license number of the agency. Job seekers might consider reaching out to the Protector of Emigrants (POE) offices located in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam to verify the information further.

Contact Indian embassy

Also, it is important to note that special recruitment drives typically require prior approval from the Union Ministry of External Affairs. This means that if an advertisement seems to lack proper credentials, it could be worth investigating further. To ensure foreign employment and educational institutions are legitimate, individuals are advised to contact the Indian Embassy in the relevant country or the embassies of those countries in India.

The e-migrate portal also contains information about blacklisted recruitment agencies and offers cautions from the Ministry of External Affairs. As a precaution, payments—presumably for legitimate fees—should only be made after verifying all relevant information.

Helplines available

Victims of such fraud are encouraged to file complaints at the Protector of Emigrants, under the Operation Shubhayatra initiative, and also report to their nearest police station.

In an effort to combat these issues, the public is also encouraged to utilize common service centers (https://digitalseva.csc.gov.in/) or the Ministry of External Affairs’ Madad portal (https://www.madad.gov.in/). This could potentially help control criminal activities at a national level.

For those with concerns or inquiries, NoRKA has provided a toll-free helpline at 1800 11 3090 and an international helpline available at +91 11 40501 from 10 am to 5 pm. Email support can be accessed at [email protected].