Are you in search of a marine job vacancy at offshore or you are interested to get hired in any of the maritime industries?
Here is my little advice to you. Never follow or send your personal data’s via social media job posts. Most of those crewing job post is fake and scammers.
On social media like Facebook, Twitter, VK, etc, you will hardly find a reputed marine company or Crewing agency posting job vacancies.
With my experience when I tried such, I got my personal data’s been circulated to almost 10 scammers who contacted me in the name of a job offer.
If not that I was wise enough to encounter them, by playing wise, I was about to pay about 1000 pounds into scammers account.
Searching marine job vacancy from social media, maybe possible if you luckily connect with a real Crewing company. About 90% of ship Crewing jobs posted on Facebook, Twitter, VK, etc are posted by people who basically feed on scamming others. They make lots of researchers to know better about crewing, marine companies and even possibly hack crewing company information data’s, in case you make move to know more about that company’s vacancy.
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On two occasions, two individuals called my phone, confirming all my personal details. Then proceed to the job offer rank I was looking for.
After explaining the job conditions, he makes it too awesome that I quickly accepted. Then he requested for me to send more details via email.
When I Ask for his company location, he said in the UK, with full contacts details.
Then I was happy that I’m dealing with a real company and send all my documents, fill up form, scan signed an agreement and passport photograph.
Unfortunately, I woke up early morning, thinking about the Marine Job Vacancy , then pick up my computer to check and confirm email IP address. But guess what, the IP was from unknown UK address different from his.
Then I feel maybe the crewing manager sent the email via mobile or at home. My mind asked me to ring the phone since the time was about office opening period.
When I called the number, the phone too long to connect ( which normally when a phone number is on the redirection of any program). I noted all this and when he picked up the call, he was happy and the call seems to have confirmed to be seriously in need of a job(weak point).
Now after the conversation, I contacted my friend who lives in the UK to please ask someone who lives close to that location to confirm the place. They confirmed positively about such company in that location also gave me their crewing manager contact details ( which was different from scammers contact).
What next were my actions?
Without delay, I wrote him an email, maintaining as if I was confirming our last tel conversation. On the same email, I ask to please send me his payment account or method of payment via his official email since we already agreed.
A reply came, ” this is our official email…” Well to cut the story short, I found out that the crew company pretending to be located in the UK was someone in an institution located in India.
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In the related occasion, I use a similar method to find out that another person was in Nigeria.
Since these incidents, I never post or follow any social media job posts.
What is my suggestion?
My suggestion to you (who read this article), is to be careful about the way you send your personal data’s. Thanks to the EU general data protection regulation (GDPR), but still, don’t forget this piece of advice.
Instead of posting your data’s on social media, you rather registered with some known maritime recruitment websites or agency.
Hopefully, you find this article advisable. Share to notify friends who may need this experience.