Scam Alerts
Current alerts about fraudulent recruiters, fake job offers, and scam patterns affecting migrant workers in ILSI's active corridors.
This page lists recruitment scams and fraud patterns that ILSI has identified through member casework and verified reports. Check here before you pay any recruitment or membership fee.
Common scam patterns
- Fake job offers. A job that sounds unusually well paid for the skill level required, with pressure to pay a fee quickly before "the position is taken."
- Fee-splitting sub-agents. A licensed agency's name is used by an unlicensed sub-agent who collects fees and disappears.
- Fake ILSI affiliation. Someone claiming to represent ILSI or to be able to guarantee ILSI membership approval in exchange for a payment. ILSI never charges a fee to "guarantee" membership approval.
- Document holding. An agent who asks to hold your passport or certificates before travel "for safekeeping."
Specific alerts naming individual agents or agencies confirmed through verified reports are listed below and updated as new reports are confirmed.
How alerts are verified
ILSI does not publish an alert about a named agent or agency based on a single unconfirmed report. Alerts are added once ILSI's casework team has reviewed supporting evidence, such as multiple consistent reports, documented fee receipts, or a confirmed licensing status check. This means the absence of an alert about a specific agent is not proof they are trustworthy — always verify directly using our agent verification tool rather than relying on the absence of an alert alone.
What to do
Always verify an agent using our agent verification tool before paying any fee, and if you believe you have already been targeted, report the recruiter to ILSI. Sharing this page with family members and other prospective workers in your community is one of the most effective ways to reduce a scam's reach before it affects someone else.
Scams change over time
Fraud patterns evolve as recruiters find new ways around whatever workers have learned to watch for. Checking this page periodically, not only once before you first migrate, helps you stay aware of newer patterns that may not have existed when you first researched recruitment fraud, especially if you are considering a different corridor or job type than before, since fraud patterns are often specific to a particular destination or sector.
Medium severity
Verified 15 Jul 2026
WhatsApp Messages Impersonating the ILSI Helpline
ILSI has identified WhatsApp accounts impersonating its official helpline, using a profile photo and name similar to ILSI's branding to contact workers and request personal or financial details.
How this scam works
Messages are sent claiming to be from "ILSI Support" or a similarly named account, sometimes referencing a real member's name or case details obtained through other means, and asking the recipient to confirm bank details, pay a fee to "process" a case, or click a link to a fake verification page.
How to check
- ILSI's official helpline numbers are published only on the ILSI website's emergency helplines page; always cross-check any number contacting you against that list.
- ILSI never asks members to pay a fee over WhatsApp or any messaging app to progress a case, and never requests full bank account passwords or card PINs under any circumstance.
- If you are unsure whether a message is genuine, do not reply to it directly; instead call your country's official ILSI helpline number using the published list to confirm.
- Report any suspicious message impersonating ILSI through the report-recruiter form so it can be investigated and, where appropriate, publicised to warn other members.
Critical severity
NP
Verified 2 Jun 2026
Fake "Government Lottery" Claiming to Guarantee Korea EPS Selection
ILSI is warning applicants to the Korea EPS scheme about a fraudulent "government lottery" claiming to guarantee selection for an EPS placement in exchange for a payment, circulated through messaging apps and word of mouth in several districts.
How this scam works
Individuals claim to have privileged access to the EPS selection process, sometimes describing it as a special lottery or quota separate from the standard language-test and skills-assessment process, and request payment to "secure" a place. The genuine EPS process does not include any such lottery, and selection is based on standardised testing managed through public agencies, not private intermediaries.
How to check
- The core EPS application process, including the language test, is administered through Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment and does not require payment to a private individual for "guaranteed" selection.
- Be sceptical of any claim to bypass the standard testing and employer-matching process; this is not how the scheme operates.
- Confirm current EPS application procedures directly with the Department of Foreign Employment rather than relying on informal information shared through social networks.
- Report anyone requesting payment for guaranteed EPS selection through ILSI's report-recruiter form.
Critical severity
NP
Verified 28 Apr 2026
Fee-Charging "Visa Guarantee" Scams Targeting Gulf Applicants
ILSI has received multiple reports of individuals and informal agencies charging large upfront fees in exchange for a "guaranteed" Gulf work visa, in some cases claiming affiliation with a specific well-known employer or government scheme to appear more credible.
How this scam works
Prospective workers are asked to pay a substantial fee, sometimes described as a "processing," "guarantee" or "fast-track" charge, before any genuine job offer, medical clearance or visa application has taken place. In many reported cases, the promised job never materialises, or a substantially different, lower-paid role is offered once the worker has already paid and, in some cases, travelled.
How to check
- No legitimate recruitment process can guarantee visa approval in advance, since visa issuance is a government decision, not something a recruiter can promise as certain.
- Under the Employer Pays Principle that ILSI promotes, workers should not be charged recruitment fees at all in an ethical recruitment channel; treat any large upfront fee request as a serious warning sign.
- Verify any agency's licence status with Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment before paying anything or signing any agreement.
- If you have already paid a suspicious fee, contact ILSI's helpline immediately for advice on next steps, including reporting the individual or agency involved.
High severity
NP
Verified 11 Mar 2026
Cloned Job-Offer Letters Circulating for Fictitious Croatia Placements
ILSI has identified cloned or fabricated job-offer letters circulating on social media, apparently offering warehouse and hospitality positions in Croatia through recruitment channels that do not correspond to any registered agency ILSI has been able to verify.
How this scam works
Job-offer letters bearing convincing but altered company logos and letterhead are shared through social media groups and messaging apps aimed at prospective migrant workers, typically requesting an upfront "processing" or "documentation" fee before any formal visa application has begun.
How to check
- Never pay a fee based solely on a letter received through social media or an unsolicited message; verify the offering company independently before paying anything.
- Check whether the recruitment agency named is licensed with Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment, and cross-check the employer's details with the relevant destination-country business registry where possible.
- Be cautious of urgency in messaging, such as claims that limited places are "closing today," which is a common pressure tactic used in fraudulent offers.
- Contact ILSI's helpline or a partner office to have a suspicious offer letter reviewed before responding to the sender.
High severity
NP
Verified 20 Jan 2026
Fraudsters Posing as ILSI Agents to Collect Membership Fees
ILSI has received reports of individuals falsely presenting themselves as ILSI-registered agents or representatives in several districts, collecting membership fees, sometimes well above ILSI's published rate, without providing any valid membership registration in return.
How this scam works
Individuals approach prospective migrant workers, often near recruitment agency offices or transport hubs, claiming to be authorised to register ILSI membership on the spot in exchange for cash payment. Some provide fake membership cards or receipts that do not correspond to any real ILSI registration.
How to check
- ILSI membership can only be registered at a verified partner office or through an ILSI-listed helpline; ILSI does not authorise informal roadside or unlisted registration.
- Use ILSI's verify-agent tool on the official ILSI website to confirm whether a named individual or office is genuinely authorised before paying anything.
- A genuine ILSI membership card can always be checked using the verify-card tool once issued; if a card cannot be verified online, do not treat it as valid.
- Report any suspected fake agent through ILSI's report-recruiter form, including their name, location and any documents provided.
