Alert on high paying jobs and easy visa offers for Pakistani job seekers
ISLAMABAD – Pakistanis planning lucrative overseas jobs are being warned against accepting ‘too good to be true’ offers, as criminal networks in Southeast Asia are allegedly using fake job opportunities to lure foreigners into online fraud operations.
The Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment issued an alert urging Pakistanis to be extremely cautious when responding to job advertisements abroad, especially those offering unusually high salaries, free travel, accommodation and easy visas. The warning comes amid the proliferation of organized human trafficking networks and forced online scam centers in countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.
Criminal gangs allegedly target foreigners with job offers such as computer operators, call center agents, customer service representatives, data entry workers, digital marketers and IT professionals. But what seems like a dream job can turn into a nightmare once it arrives.
Victims are sometimes taken to tightly controlled compounds after reaching their destination, according to government warnings. Their passports and mobile phones can be confiscated, while they can be forced to participate in online fraud and other illegal activities.
These operations can include fake investment and cryptocurrency schemes, romance scams, social media fraud, fake call centers, fake customer support operations, phishing and identity theft.
Criminal groups may also impersonate banks and government agencies or create fake social media accounts to defraud and financially exploit victims. Victims may face intense pressure to meet financial targets and may be subjected to threats, intimidation and violence.
In some reported cases, the abuse allegedly included detention, starvation, physical violence, electric shocks and sexual abuse.
The government also warns that escaping these compounds can be extremely difficult. Victims can potentially be moved or sold from one criminal group to another, while criminal networks can demand thousands of dollars in ransom from their families. Even after the ransom is paid, however, release is not guaranteed.
Officials have identified several warning signs that Pakistanis should look out for before accepting a job abroad. If an offer promises high salaries for minimal qualifications, immediate employment without a proper interview, free airfare, room and board, easy or guaranteed visa arrangements, it should immediately arouse suspicion.
He also cautioned against employment through a company with no verifiable office or legal registration, recruitment through WhatsApp, Telegram or social media only, instructions to work on a visit or tourist visa, demand to surrender original passport and sudden changes in job, employer or destination after arriving at the airport.
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Officials have advised potential overseas workers to undergo thorough checks before leaving Pakistan. Job seekers should verify the employer’s legal registration, physical office, official website, telephone numbers and ownership details. They should also obtain a written employment contract and confirm salary, nature of work, work location and accommodation arrangements prior to travel.
The government emphasized that employment abroad should only be undertaken on a valid work visa. Pakistanis have been advised not to accept employment while traveling on a visit, tourist or business visa. Officials further recommend using a licensed overseas employment promoter and obtaining the necessary legal protection from the relevant Protector of Immigrants prior to departure.
Pakistanis going abroad for work have also been advised to keep copies of their passports, visas, employment contracts and air tickets with their families. Travelers should share their employer details, destination, accommodation, travel arrangements and contact information with their families.
They should also save the contact details of the relevant Pakistani embassy or consulate before leaving the country.
If a person arrives in another country and has their passport confiscated, is taken to an unknown location, faces an attempted cross-border transfer or is forced to engage in illegal online activities, authorities recommend contacting the local police and the nearest Pakistani embassy or consulate as soon as possible, where circumstances permit.
Victims should also share their location with someone they trust and avoid directly confronting criminal gangs if doing so could put them at greater risk.
Officials stress that an attractive overseas job offer does not automatically mean the opportunity is real or secure. Pakistanis are therefore urged to verify employer, employment contract and work visa through official channels before travelling.
Cases of suspected human trafficking or suspected recruitment may be reported to the FIA Helpline 1991 or the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment.
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