Job fraudsters use social media Bangkokpost. Published: 13-Sep-14 Writer: Penchan Charoensuthipan Popular social networks such as Facebook and Line have become tools of labour export fraudsters, many of them offering positions for unrealistically attractive pay in South Korea. The jobs the fraudsters offer are unregistered and Thai workers are thus exposed to high risk, warned Cherdsak Wisutthikul, director of the job seekers protection and inspection unit of the Department of Employment. Illegal brokers are using social networks to lure job seekers into working in other countries instead of meeting them in the field or distributing leaflets as before, Mr Cherdsak said. He said it was difficult to take legal action because job seekers did not dare to file official complaints, as they were aware that the placement services were illegal. Therefore, labour authorities have been focusing instead on educating job seekers about such frauds, Mr Cherdsak said. Workers doing unregistered jobs overseas are at risk of being abused, being placed in a dangerous work environment, and receiving unfairly low returns or not getting paid at all. Some job seekers did not get work as promised and were left to survive on their own in their destination countries, he said. Labour inspectors are now stationed at Suvarnabhumi airport in hopes of preventing some workers who might be victims of fraud rings from departing the country. Their efforts so far have kept about 100 people a month from flying out, said Mr Cherdsak. Sumet Mahosot, director-general of the Department of Employment, said that last month 233 job seekers were blocked from taking flights to South Korea as they appeared to have been deceived into accepting unregistered jobs. Another labour source said that Thai women were mainly lured to massage services and men to farming, construction and seafood jobs in South Korea. They were reluctant to complain because of their status as illegal migrants there. About 20 to 30 Thai job seekers were denied entry to South Korea daily, the source added.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 17:48:54 +0000