Recruitment scams

Courtesy by tenor.com

The seafaring industry offers career opportunities, but unfortunately, it’s not immune to scams targeting newbies and fresh recruits looking for a job. They often exploit online platforms, job boards and social media forums to hoodwink young, unsuspecting and perhaps also naive candidates.

The lack of knowledge among newcomers is a big factor, it practically invites scammers to take advantage of them. Any newbie should know about the industry basics they are trying to enter into. Like e.g. understanding recruitment processes, in my opinion this should be a part of STCW courses like Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR) module in order to spread some awareness, today, unfortunately this isn't part of the curriculum.

Also to understand how the maritime industry is regulated and that seafarers do have rights, there is information about it on the interwebs and anyone with half a brain cell can ask their AI app about it. The recruiting process is also regulated and has to fulfil certain criterias according to the MLC convention. Just like ships have to comply to SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW and other conventions and codes from the IMO. 

The right recruiting process

It might help everyone to know how a normal recruitment process is conducted with an established company. Normally there is an initial contact, it can be a via a job board directly to the Company, social media postings or via recruitment agencies. It is always because you have initiated the dialogue by replying to an advert, nobody contacts you out of the blue. 

The next step is to share your CV. The employer will then see if your profile fits and then they'll do their due diligence and will check your references. Any referees you have should usually inform that they've been approached for a reference. If all is good and the recruitment is still on they'll make you an offer that you then potentially accept. 

The following step is the contract (sometimes referred to as SEA (seafarers employment agreement)), you will get a draft sent to you where you can read through it and then either accept or reject. In yachting this could also entail signing a confidentiality agreement, you will also get a complaints procedure and lastly your flight detail and then sign on. Many times you will be met at the airport by ships crew or an Agent but you could also be asked to take a train or bus closer to the port where the ship is. 

The vessels management company is usually involved at contract issuance where one have to fill up pre employment forms where personal information is gathered: copies of your certs, passport, medical, banking details and next of kin. Usually these are sent from the vessel or the management company, you may be contacted by several persons, each one fulfilling a task in the process.

The above applies to established large companies following the regulatory framework. Then in regards of yachts, in particular the smaller ones that are privately registered and with such a small gross tonnage that they are not required to follow hardly any rules. This is where it gets complicated and this also where the scammers come in the picture because it is a kind of a wild west these days. Many of these are owned by reputable businessmen that like to follow procedures so could also have same way of recruiting as explained above but then there are others that just go where the fence is the lowest.

The scammers

Scammers typically aim to exploit job seekers in the following ways:

- Monetary gain by requesting upfront payments for placement, visa fees, flights, and/ or accommodation.

- They might also be after personal information that they could use, e.g. passport numbers, bank details, and/ or addresses to commit identity theft or fraud.

- Exploitation, inappropriate requests specific photos or videos are often aimed at exploitation, not legitimate hiring. For example, if you are asked to change into various outfits (even off camera), it could indicate that they'll use your images to create fake social media profiles. They could also be measuring you for how far you're willing to go so the job in question may not be what it seems, if there ever is one.

- Phishing, they could be sharing suspicious links so they can gain access to your personal stuff or infect your devices with malware/ ransomware.

Courtesy by tenor.com

Understanding these methods is the first step to avoid being a victim and also to be vigilant for cyber crime even in these scenarios as it is closely related and they play on jobseekers looking for work. 

Common red flags

For legitimate job opportunities the recruiter will never require you to pay upfront for placement, visas, flights, or accommodation. If you are asked for money to secure a position or cover costs, it’s most likely a scam. The MLC convention prohibits recruiters to ask money for their services, they're paid by the employer.

Dodgy employers

Be cautious of employers or agencies with little to no online presence. Claims that this is to protect the vessel owner’s identity are not true. Legitimate agents should be easy to research and verify, if they're British then they should have an MCA audit certificate and be listed on their website as a bona fide recruiter.

Requests for photos or videos

In commercial recruitment it is not even required to have a photo on your CV, in yachting it is a norm and sometimes recruiters may ask for a full length picture due to the personalized nature of the work. As with any requests, you can always ask for a clarification about what it is needed. Remember that the recruitment process is not only a one way street, you are allowed to ask questions as it goes along. Just to point out that recruiting is not done via WhatsApp asking for pictures through dodgy platforms.

Deceptive communication

Some illegitimate "recruiters" are not talking the "talk", they may sound overly articulate, I've even seen on forums messages that appears like straight copy paste from AI generated waffle. Also consistently having a lot of spelling mistakes and bad grammar can also indicate that the person on the other end is not who they want to appear to be, they could be using google translate on the other end. Definite red flag is that they are not taking calls over video or audio.

Suspicious links

Avoid clicking on unfamiliar or shortened links in job postings or private messages, as they could lead to phishing sites or malware. If something feels suspicious, don't click it, or use an environment where you can click the link without repercussions. There should not be any need for any links when recruiting.

Is the job legit or scam?

Not all situations that seem suspicious are scams. In some cases, especially in yachting, legitimate yachting job offers may involve unconventional steps that can feel suspect. In some cases if you have doubt but are not sure then go with the flow in the dialogue until a definite red flag comes up, for example:

Paying for your own travel

On smaller superyachts, especially those working directly with a Captain or Owner rather than through an recruitment agent, you may need to pay for your airfare and travel expenses upfront. However, this should be agreed upon in writing beforehand, with a clear budget and a signed contract. As long as you keep all receipts, they should reimburse you upon arrival (as agreed). Unfortunately this is a standard bad practice for some vessels and not necessarily a red flag.

Height and weight requests

These measurements are often requested to prepare uniforms in advance for your arrival or to confirm that you fit in the crew cabin bunks (which may have size restrictions in some cases). While it might feel invasive, this is standard practice on many yachts for practical reasons and is not typically a cause for concern. If you’re unsure about their intentions, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.

Relationship questions

Occasionally, Captains or Recruiters may ask if you are in a relationship. While this might feel personal, it is often intended to gauge whether your personal life could impact your work onboard or crew dynamics it basically is none of their business, all they need to know is your next of kin. If you’re unsure about why they need this information, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.

Courtesy by tenor.com

Don’t fall for the scam

When you’re new and keen to start your yachting career, you might not know what a legitimate job offer looks like. Talk to someone you trust, a contact in the industry or a friend already with a job or more experience, ask for an opinion. Trust your gut feeling—if a job offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Research the employer

Look up the recruiter, ship, or captain online. Check for reviews, professional websites, or social media profiles. Reach out to others in the industry to confirm the legitimacy of the opportunity. Best is to research the person or company and reach out to them through an alternate verified method. Check the company domain in the email, scammers may just change a small detail to appear from a legitimate player, e.g. an "l" could be "1" (ell vs digit one) or they may have ".org" vs ".com", small details easy to miss.

Keep personal data private

Share only essential details for applications, such as your CV and professional photo. Avoid disclosing sensitive information like date of birth, passport numbers or banking details until you’re certain of the employer’s legitimacy and offer.

Use "social media safe" CV

Media safe CV protects your personal information while highlighting your qualifications. In my personal opinion I would never post my CV online because your life is on there for anyone to see, copy and (ab)use. It is like leaving your door open when you leave home. That is why nobody should call you out of the blue uninitiated, even recruiters must ask you first before they put your CV forward.

If you feel compelled to post your CV online into forums in the hope to attract job offers, then I would use a professional summary avoiding any specific personal detail, it should be short and with a current location and phone number + email. For added security, do not use publicly email ID's and phone numbers for your contact that are linked to your banking login .

Trust your instincts

If something feels off, as explained above, trust your gut. On social media, job offers are often labelled as urgent with positions sometimes being filled within hours, it could be real too but scammers often play on this card as when under pressure you might not think straight. If you start to feel stressed, always take a step back and look at what you are doing and where it is going. In case things look suspect, it might be that you are being played. Work concurrently in trying to identify the offer legitimacy and then proceed as you see fit, again, no payments should be necessary.

Courtesy by tenor.com

What to do if you think you're being scammed

Stop the communication and report the incident to the admin if you have gotten it through a forum. Notify the group admin or platform where the job scam was posted. File a report with local police authorities if you’ve been scammed out of  money. 

Protect your accounts, if you’ve clicked on suspect links, change your passwords and monitor your accounts for suspicious activity. Enable two-factor authentication, if applicable. 

Join social media groups that discuss scams and advice for jobs, many times these are the same work forums. Also beware that these often are opinions from anonymous posters with their own agendas so always take anything said with a pinch of salt.

Final thoughts

Job scams in almost any industry these days are a frustrating reality. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to avoid them. Always think before you act, read up about where you are attempting to go, check out regulations, rights and responsibilities. Network. 

I have also come across instances where jobs are posted in many places but when applied there is never any reply, in most cases one doesn't get replies but when you read job forums long enough you start recognizing the writing and I can't but suspect that there is some kind of CV harvesting going on or the position is extremely bad if they keep looking for new candidates every now and then. Food for thought.

I would also like to thank Leanne Ferreira for her original write up on LinkedIn that gave me the idea to add my 5 cents on this issue that has been nagging me for awhile.