Pinoys warned vs fake Unicef job offers

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos were warned yesterday to be wary of fake job offers purportedly from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Administrator Hans Cacdac of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said UNICEF has alerted the agency over fake job offers circulating through emails.

“The fake email, which was sent by a Dr. Michael Wallace, informs the applicant of being accepted for the job and that training will take place in London after payment of fees has been completed,” he said.

In its website, UNICEF said it is aware of fictitious employment offers being circulated via email or originating from online job boards.

These schemes consist of an alleged offer of employment or contract with UNICEF in return for the payment of fees or providing personal or banking information, UNICEF added.

UNICEF said the agency does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process and that it only advertises employment opportunities on its global employment website or on the website of its country offices/national committees.

It also utilizes bona fide and established media, newspapers and online job boards to disseminate its vacancies, UNICEF added.

Meanwhile, a hospital in Manitoba, Canada has denied involvement in a supposed “British English Training” program in the Philippines.

“We have been informed of a scam involving our hospital… To clarify, we are not hiring nurses here in this fashion,” Jon Einarson, executive director of Grace Hospital Foundation in Winnipeg, Canada said in his email.

Cacdac has advised prospective OFWs to disregard similar recruitment emails and not to divulge any personal or bank account information.