Provincial administration officials to assist 34 Thai job seekers in Taiwan scam

Somchai Morakotsriwan, Director-General of the Department of Employment (DLA), revealed that 34 Thai citizens have filed complaints with the Central Employment Registration and Job Seeker Protection Division.

At the end of November last year, the Thai citizens in question said they had been recruited by a group of illegal job hirers claiming to be the owner of a company located in Pathum Thani province. A photo of the company, allegedly in Samut Prakan, was also forged and provided.

The scammers claim that the recruitment process requires an interview and physical readiness test before sending candidates to work in Taiwan.

The workers were deceived into believing that they would be working as production employees with salaries amounting to approximately 26,400 Taiwanese dollars (approximately 29,300 baht) per month. The work contract was supposed to last three years, liable for an extension.

Each worker was charged between 30,000 and 71,000 baht for the processing fee, but they ended up not travelling to Taiwan for the work they were promised. The Thai workers filed a complaint asking for help in tracking down the remaining money and taking legal action against the said illegal recruitment agent.

The Department of Employment fact-checked and found that five individuals were involved in the process of contacting job seekers and defrauding them. All of the individuals were not licensees to recruit job seekers to work abroad and were not registered as employees or employment agents at all.

Criminal liabilities

The Employment and Jobseeker Protection Act of 1985 and the amended Section 91 stipulate that defrauding others including any financial gains, property, or any other benefits obtained from the person who was deceived, and misleading them by claiming they can find work or be sent to intern abroad is subject to criminal liabilities.

The Employment Department reported the incident to the Human Trafficking Suppression Division to expedite the issuance of arrest warrants and prosecute all those involved by the legal procedures.

Director-General Somchai said that he has recently given command to the Central Employment Registration Division to protect job seekers and to follow up by going to the area to inspect the two companies that were cited at Nai Khlong Bang Pla Kot Subdistrict, Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan Province, Khlong Si Subdistrict, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province.

It was found that the first was a company engaged in the production of electrical equipment and that there was no procedure for recruiting and sending people to work in Taiwan, according to the illegal brokerage that used the name of the company, reported Matichon.

The company’s personnel officer confirmed that he does not know any of the people who posted recruiting job seekers.

“The company will prosecute those who used the company name for illegal activities and claim damages according to the law.”

Job scammers

The location of the second company was inspected and it was found that the site looked like a residential house with a gate and a key lock.

From inquiring about neighbouring residences, information was given that the residence has been closed for several months and no one has been seen entering or exiting the area.

The Department of Employment will continue to monitor job scammers who deceive job seekers into working abroad through social media to prevent job seekers from falling prey to illegal brokers.

For more information, please visit the website of the Central Employment Registration and Jobseeker Protection Division. Alternatively, information can be obtained from the Ministry of Labor hotline at 1506, press 2.