How to avoid foreign job scams

Check the agency before you share anything

• Every Sri Lankan agency that sends workers abroad needs an SLBFE licence. Ask for the licence number and check it at slbfe.lk.
• Visit the agency's office. A real agency has an address, a landline and a signboard, not only a WhatsApp number.
• Search the agency's name with the word 'scam' or 'complaint' before you pay anything.

Know what you may be asked to pay

The SLBFE sets limits on what an agency may charge. Ask for every fee in writing, with a receipt for each payment.

• Never pay a 'visa fee' or 'job guarantee fee' to a person's personal bank account.
• Be careful of anyone who asks for a large payment before you have signed a contract.

Get everything in writing

• A signed contract with the job title, salary, working hours, accommodation, food, ticket and contract length.
• The same job and salary as the advertisement. If they change after you pay, stop.
• Keep copies of all papers and receipts. Photograph them and send the photos to a family member.

Protect your documents

• Do not hand over your original passport to an agent you cannot verify.
• Register with the SLBFE before you leave. It gives you insurance and help if something goes wrong abroad.
• A tourist or visit visa is not a work visa. Do not travel to work on one.

If something is wrong

Stop paying, keep your evidence, and tell the SLBFE and the police. You can also report the job to us on our report a scam page.