Dear ASS Editor,
Asia Recruit Pte Ltd is a scam!
This is to all people who are looking for jobs in Singapore. I know most of you will find it hard to believe if i tell you that Singapore is not 100% clean and that there are opportunistic people who will try to scam you. Yes, this is true and i have met people who fell prey to these scammers. The particular case that i had personally experienced was with Asia Recruit Pte Ltd.
Asia Recruit Pte Ltd has several ads in job portal sites luring foreigners looking for jobs in Singapore. Their ads are targeted to foreigners with catchy phrases such as :
"OPEN TO ALL NATIONALITIES..."
"WORK IN SINGAPORE...ALL ARE WELCOME TO APPLY"
The scheme works like this -
1. Asia Recruit Pte Ltd (www.asiarecruit.com.sg) will schedule applicants to visit their office in Chinatown (1, PARK ROAD, #04-17, PEOPLE'S PARK COMPLEX, Singapore - 059108). Recently, i learned from 1 victim that they had moved their office at Level 30, Singapore Land Tower, 50 Raffles Place, singapore 048623.
2. They will ask for a placement fee of 290 SGD and they will promise money back guarantee if they can't get you an employer. This is a trap.. once they get your money, they won't give it back.
It looks like from time to time the agency changes its tactic a bit. In other forums, the victims were asked different amounts and the procedures were slightly different.
As per Asia Recruit Pte Ltd, the 290 sgd fee is to help market your resume and for processing your application. Asia Recruit pte ltd will not issue a receipt but would tell you to check your email as they will send it there. When you check your receipt, it will come from Asia Job Mart - http://www.asiajobmart.com.sg/. As per MOM (ministry of manpower), employment agencies are not allowed to charge placement fees prior to getting applicants employment. This is a big sign that this is not a legit agency because they are not following mom's regulation.
Also, by not issuing receipt, this is a way to cover their activities and potentially make it difficult for victims to file for complaints. I believe Asia Recruit pte ltd and asia job mart are in connivance.
3. The following day you will get a call from a company called connectsia pte. ltd. and they will schedule for an interview. Connectsia pte. Ltd. will offer you a marketing/sales position but you need to attend a training which they will charge you for 180 SGD and 650 sgd for processing.
4. The training will take place at Asia Recruit pte ltd's office, this was what happened in other victims before. You will find it surprising why the training took place at the agency's office and not in Connectsia pte. Ltd. The fact is Asia Recruit pte ltd and Connectsia pte. Ltd. are managed or owned by same people.
5. After the training, they will apply for your e-pass at mom or not even process. However, your application will get rejected as they won't have quota or they are not eligible to apply for those positions or they will apply for you a pass which you are not qualified.
6. If you try to follow up your application, the agency will ignore you or they will tell you to email enquiry@connectsia.com.sg for any enquiry regarding matters of employment with them and note that no walk in will be entertained.
7. If you wish to refund or cancel your application. You must follow there
agreement.
- We will refund you the investment you have actually paid to us within 30 business days
- if you choose to cancel products/services (application) you will be charged a cancellation fee of 80% on the amount you paid on the services/products.
If you go to https://services.mom.gov.sg/eadirectory/ and search for Asia Recruit, you will find that they had been operating for 7 months only while their ads would say otherwise..
Cardo
A.S.S. Contributor
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