The Philippine government has warned would-be overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly those in the health profession, about a scam offering non-existent jobs in a facility in Ontario.
According to the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, which issued the warning, the scam is targeting nurses and others in health-oriented professions in the  Philippines by offering them jobs as caregivers at Ian Anderson House, an in-resident cancer hospice in Oakville, Ontario.
The Consulate General said it received a report that an invitation is being circulated through e-mail for a two-day seminar supposedly scheduled for March 7 and 8 in the Philippines where invited participants are asked to pay a P3,800.00 seminar fee in exchange for guaranteed employment at the facility.
The invitation allegedly comes from Primera Human Resource Services, it said.
Upon consultation with a representative of Ian Anderson House, however, the Consulate General has verified that the facility is not seeking employees or offering employment opportunities at this time.
The Ian Anderson House has also denied it is connected with the purported seminar.
A GMA News check with the website of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reveals that while Primera Human Resource Services is a licensed agency, it does not have approved job orders for Canada.
“In view of the above, the public is strongly urged to exercise caution when responding to the abovementioned or similar offers of employment, and to verify the same with the POEA to avoid being victimized by unscrupulous individuals,” the consulate said.
This is not the first time such sams have surfaced in Canada.
Two years ago, The Fraser Health authority warned Filipinos not to fall for a recruitment scam offering jobs at B.C. hospitals.
“We have recently received reports of a phishing scam posing as Fraser Health recruitment and asking for funds for an interview/training fee in the Philippines,” said a statement issued by the health authority which serves than 1.6 million people including residents from Burnaby to Hope to Boston Bar.
“Please do not respond or send funds if you receive an email like this, it is a scam. Fraser Health would never ask for funds tied to an interview process or recruitment. This phishing email has been reported to local authorities,” the authority said then.
The inducements offered by the fake company are very tempting to many people looking for overseas employment.
The emails say applicants will not be charged a placement or processing fee and the cost of the air fare and work visa will be paid by the employer.
But the catch is they have to pay 3,750 pesos (US$88) for “Canadian Embassy Interview Coaching” plus medical tests which cost up to 5,000 pesos, the POEA say.