KUALA LUMPUR: In a shocking case, an unlicensed employment recruitment agency has scammed five victims out of nearly RM100,000 in relation to the hiring of domestic workers. Bryan Yee, one of the victims, revealed that he lost approximately RM18,000 to the agency. Yee mentioned that he came across the agency’s advertisement on Facebook last November and decided to avail their services in February, paying RM8,000 for a domestic worker. However, Yee was disappointed with the quality of the worker provided by the agency, who eventually ran away. This was just the beginning of his ordeal as he discovered that the worker had also stolen his wife’s undergarments. Yee further added, “We paid her salary through the agency but I later discovered that the agency failed to pay her. She eventually ran away.” As a result, the agency approached Yee with an investment opportunity and he transferred RM10,000, expecting a profit of RM3,000. Unfortunately, there was no refund for the runaway worker or return on the investment. Deniss Low, another victim, shared her experience, revealing that she paid a total of RM22,000 to the agency after seeing their ad on Facebook. Low discovered that the agency did not pay the domestic worker’s salary, and none of the workers provided satisfactory services. Despite demanding a refund, the agency procrastinated, making itself unreachable to the point where it posted a notice of bankruptcy and promises of refunds in July, which never materialized. Low resorted to warning others on Facebook about the agency, which led to the agency owner attempting to bribe her into stopping. Five police reports have been lodged against the agency, and the victims collectively lost RM96,000. MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong highlighted that there may be more victims of this unscrupulous agency. Chong revealed that the agency’s modus operandi involves providing domestic workers who eventually run away, leaving the customers without a refund. The victims usually experienced three months of service before the worker disappeared. Chong advised the public to only engage with licensed and legitimate recruitment agencies. Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia (Papa) president Datuk Foo Yong Hooi, present at the press conference, explained that illegal agencies usually prey on desperate individuals seeking domestic workers. He emphasized the importance of dealing with licensed agencies and urged potential customers to refer to the list on the Labor Department’s website, which features over 600 qualified companies to provide domestic workers.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
