Nepali nationals targeted in new wave of fake job offer scams

The company denied any involvement in the job offer and said Just found out about this scam.

“While we have not received any complaints or claims recently, we urge any victims of visa scams to report it to local law enforcement in their country of residence or in the country where the scam occurred,” Perry said.

“They can also copy the information to Crime Stoppers New Zealand, however, if the fraud is taking place overseas, Immigration New Zealand is unlikely to investigate it due to jurisdictional limitations.”

Mr Perry strongly urged Lotus management and any New Zealand employer or entity affected by the immigration scam to report it to police.

“Anyone who wants to work in New Zealand needs Be very careful not to be deceived “They took money and made false job offers,” he said.

“We advise people to protect themselves by checking with the companies involved before handing over any money to ensure all quotes are genuine.”

Lotus Supermarket manager Mathew John said the business discovered the fraud on Wednesday.

“We have contacted and informed the Nepali consulate as well as Immigration New Zealand,” John said.

Last year, hundreds of Nepalis paid up to $30,000 in fees to agents who helped them find their way to the country. False promises of high-paying jobs and residency.

The consulate described the latest scam as “yet another New Zealand visa scam” in its Facebook alert.

“A new work visa scam is targeting individuals in New Zealand. Scammers are promising fake job opportunities and visa approvals in exchange for money,” the report said.

It urged people to protect themselves by being vigilant and verifying employers and agencies through official channels, avoiding large payments upfront and reporting suspicious activity.

Nepal’s honorary consul to New Zealand, Dinesh Khadka, said he had received inquiries but did not know how many people had been scammed.

“In the last year, we’ve had hundreds of people fall victim to these scams, paying $20,000 to $30,000 for jobs that didn’t exist, only to end up being forced into slave labor here,” Khadka said.

“We don’t want to see this happen again.”

He said scammers target Nepalis who are desperate to move abroad in search of opportunities to raise their families and live a better life.

Khadka said up to 500 people fell victim to the scam last year, with only a handful finding work after being granted protection from exploitation visas.

Perry said it is common practice for licensed immigration consultants or attorneys to charge a fee for their services, but that is completely different from a potential employee paying an employer to get a job.

“People wanting to work in New Zealand should be aware that Immigration New Zealand will refuse a work visa application if we determine that the employment opportunity was obtained as a result of a payment made by the applicant or their agent to the employer,” he said.

“We encourage them to try to resolve the issue directly through their licensed immigration adviser’s own complaints process or they can make a complaint to the Immigration Advisers Authority.”

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, you can get more advice by visiting: Scams and Fraud | CERT NZ and Internet fraud | New Zealand Police

Lincoln Tan is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, specialising in stories about diversity and immigration.