The number of people duped by illegal job brokers to work overseas and the damages incurred have both soared in the past eight months, according to the Department of Employment (DoE).
The sharp rise comes when the demand for Thai workers in the international labour markets has increased in the post-Covid-19 pandemic period, said Phairoj Chotikasatien, director-general of the DoE.
From October last year to early this month, at least 471 people were conned out of a total of 32.75 million baht they paid to illegal overseas job recruitment agencies for non-existent placement services, said Mr Phairoj.
These overseas job scams were found to involve a total of 142 fake job recruiters, he said.
Compared to the period from October 2021 to early July 2022, 217 victims were duped with damages estimated at 16.6 million baht.
South Korea, Australia, Japan, Canada and Sweden topped the list of countries popular with job seekers who are often conned via bogus online job advertisements, he added.
Most of the victims were overseas job seekers from Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nakhon Phanom, Chaiyaphum and Pathum Thani, he said.
The rise in overseas job scams has occurred despite DoE efforts to educate job seekers about legal and safe channels to apply for overseas jobs through certified recruitment agencies. At the same time, the department has cracked down on illegal job brokers, he said.
Anyone recruiting people to work overseas without a proper permit issued by the DoE risks a three to 10-year prison term, a fine of between 60,000 and 200,000 baht or both, he said.
Illegal job advertisements on the internet and social media are punishable by up to three years in prison, a maximum fine of 60,000 baht or both, he said.