Anti-Scam Taskforce Warns Fijians Of New Recruitment Scam Targeting Overseas Job Seekers
'Hi, my name is Karina-Jo and I'm a Recruiter. We are currently looking for a part-time assistant to join our team. The online work hours are flexible and you can work remotely. This job only takes 1 hour per day to complete, can be done at any time and place, and the daily salary ranges from $100 to $300. You will be paid immediately at the end of each workday. All you need is a smartphone or computer to start working. You can even work on weekends or any free time. If you are interested, please contact me via WhatsApp: +17408055273
Note: You must be 22 years old or above'
The scam typically begins with a message from a supposed recruiter offering unrealistic claims which is a classic sign of fraudulent schemes. Once individuals express interest, they are either asked to provide personal information or to make an upfront payment to proceed with the application. In many cases, this personal information is later used to commit identity theft, hack into accounts, or perpetrate other scams.
'This is not the first time we are seeing scammers take advantage of the high demand in Fiji for overseas or remote employment,' said Chair Taskforce and Minister for Trade, Co operatives, MSMEs and Communication Honourable Manoa Kamikamica. 'As we have said before, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.'
The Consumer Council CEO Seema Shandil also urged Fijians to verify all claims before engaging with online recruiters. 'While there are genuine and legitimate online recruiters operating in Fiji, it is essential to approach such offers with a healthy dose of skepticism and to question everything,' she said.
The Anti-Scam Taskforce reminds Fijians that legitimate recruiters and employers do not promise exorbitant pay for minimal work, nor do they ask for upfront payments or sensitive personal information during early stages of recruitment.
Fijians are urged to remain alert, report suspicious messages, and share this warning with friends and family to help prevent others from falling victim to such scams. If you suspect you have been targeted, contact the Consumer Council of Fiji or the Fiji Police Force immediately.
To report scams, contact the toll-free National Consumer Helpline at 155 or email Complaints@consumersfiji.org.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Fiji's anti-corruption watchdog charges top prosecutor, initiates extradition proceedings
Fiji's suspended chief prosecutor, New Zealander Christopher Pryde Photo: Christopher Pryde Fiji's anti-corruption watchdog has charged the country's top prosecutor, who is in self-imposed exile in New Zealand, with corruption. The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has also initiated "extradition proceedings" against New Zealander Christopher Pryde. In a press statement on Tuesday, FICAC said Pryde had been charged in absentia on three counts by the Suva Magistrates Court. FICAC claims that while serving as director of Office of Public Prosecutions, Pryde "approved and received" approximately NZ$102,000 without obtaining the necessary approvals from the President's Office and the Judicial Services Commission. "He is charged with causing a loss, on the basis that he dishonestly caused financial loss to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions by accepting these unauthorised payments." FICAC said Pryde faces a second count of abuse of office for allegedly approving and receiving eight reimbursements for airfares for his wife and child (worth approximately NZ$35,000), and has been charged with obtaining a financial advantage by knowingly receiving payments to which he was not entitled. The anti-corruption office is also alleging that, on or about 16 September 2022, Pryde was reimbursed almost NZ$6000 for unused air tickets by Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It alleged that, although the airline refunded him directly, he failed to return the amount. The court has adjourned the case to 15 September for an update on the status of the extradition process. Pryde had been reinstated to the role in January of this year following a 21-month suspension. In a statement to reporters, Pryde said he is "dismayed" at FICAC's decision "without giving me the right to speak in my defence". "This is a clear violation of my civil and constitutional rights. I categorically deny any wrongdoing," he said. "The decision by FICAC to charge me in absentia lead me to the conclusion that there is a concerted effort to keep me out of Fiji and prevent me from resuming my duties as the Director of Public Prosecutions." Earlier this year, Pryde had written to Foreign Minister Winston Peters to intervene in his case after his salary was cut of by the Fiji government. Pryde is a New Zealand citizen and held Fiji's top prosecutor position from 2011. He was suspended in April 2023, midway into his seven-year contract, over allegations of misconduct. A three-judge Tribunal appointed by the President later cleared him of any wrongdoin, and reinstated on 7 January. However, just two days after this reinstatement, his deputy - who had been serving as the acting director public prosecutions - filed a fresh complaint against him with FICAC. Pryde maintains his innocence and says he has not returned to Fiji because he has not received assurance by the Judicial Services Commission that they would not suspend him upon his return. "And I would be forced to, once again, defend myself whilst being deprived of my income".
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
US Tariffs: Some Pacific Nations Get Relief, Others Face Increase
Pacific Islands still face tariffs from the United States, but some rates are lower than originally announced in April. The White House announced last week that the "universal" tariff for goods coming into the US will remain at 10 percent, the same level that was implemented on 2 April before the pause. But that 10 percent rate will apply only to countries with which the US has a trade surplus - countries to which the US exports more than it imports. That applies to most countries, a senior administration official said. A 15 percent rate will serve as the new tariff floor for countries with which the America has a trade deficit. About 40 countries will pay that new 15 per cent tariff. The tariff in Fiji has more than halved - from 32 percent to 15 percent. Fiji's trade ministry welcomed the drop from 32 per cent to 15 per cent. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica said the reduction offers welcome relief to Fiji's exporters and helps preserve their competitiveness in the US market - but it's not the end of the road yet. "The 15 percent tariff is not the end of the journey. As referred to in the [US] executive order of 1 August 2025, Fiji is designated as a country in ongoing negotiations with the United States," he said in a statement. The reduced tariff rate will take effect from 8 August, applying to all goods of Fijian origin unless excluded under specific provisions. "We remain committed to advancing these discussions in good faith. Our ultimate goal is to significantly reduce the 15 per cent tariff," Kamikamica said. The Fijian government said the country accounts for less than 0.0001 per cent of total US imports, "posing no discernible threat to US industry." Vanuatu's tariffs have been dropped from 22 per cent to 15, and Nauru's from 30 per cent also to 15. However, Papua New Guinea has seen an increase from 10 to 15 percent, while New Zealand has also been given the 15 percent tariff. Speaking to RNZ's Morning Report, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the tariff, which had been expected to be at 10 percent, being at a higher percentage was "not what New Zealand wanted". Top diplomat Vangelis Vitalis was flying to Washington in the wake of the announcement, with Trade Minister Todd McClay intending to visit in coming days too. Despite the higher tariff, Luxon said the government had "played it well". "We continue to register our disappointment about the decision; we've also done it since April." He believed New Zealand exporters were "nimble and agile" and there was still huge demand for New Zealand products and services globally. The opposition said the 15 percent tariff was a "slap in the face" for exporters.
1News
20 hours ago
- 1News
He went to collect 200kg of meth, but police and Customs were way ahead of him
A West Auckland builder is today starting a jail sentence for importing what he thought was 200kgs of the drug methamphetamine. Joshua Auina-Anae was expecting to collect what Judge Evangelos Thomas called one of our biggest commercial methamphetamine importations. But he found himself at the centre of an international law enforcement operation involving China's Anti-Smuggling Bureau (ASB), NZ Customs and Police. The drugs had been switched out en route from China and he was picked up by New Zealand police when he went to collect the haul. Today Auina-Anae was sentenced at the Auckland District Court to five years in prison. He had previously admitted attempting to possess meth for supply. ADVERTISEMENT Suspicions in China The attempted drug importation first raised suspicions in China on October 16, 2023. Court documents reveal the ASB examined a consignment of two pallets of granite and found the meth stashed inside. Officers removed the drugs and replaced them with a dummy substance before tipping off New Zealand officers. The granite then left aboard the ship the NYK FUSHIMI from Yantian Port. It landed at Ports of Auckland on November 7 that year with Customs and police working on a planned "managed delivery". The granite slabs left the port on November 16 for a freight forwarding company at Airport Oaks and then onto an Avondale storage facility. On November 28 at about 1.15pm a truck, not involved in the importation, picked up the granite and was followed by a Hiace van registered to Auina-Anae. ADVERTISEMENT The vehicles then travelled across the city to a Hobsonville commercial space where the slabs were dropped off. Auina-Anae was observed coming and going from a unit there. At 3.21pm, members of the police's special tactics group arrested Auina-Anae inside the unit. The statement of facts before the court said: "Mr Auina-Anae had smashed the top of one of the granite slabs and had begun accessing the area where the drugs had previously been stored. "Mr Auina-Anae had removed the thin layer of placebo from the top and exposed scoria-type rocks underneath." When officers busted in he had begun placing the dummy substance he thought was meth into containers and had a sledgehammer and crowbar. In a statement to police, Auina-Anae said he received orders to do the job from an unknown person. 'Bottom of the chain' ADVERTISEMENT In the Auckland District Court this afternoon Auina-Anae's lawyer Jasper Rhodes said his client was the definition of a "capture", someone who was at "the bottom of the chain" and "responsible for taking all the risk" but not expecting the profits of those at the top of the operation. Auina-Anae nodded when Judge Thomas told him he had previously been a person of "good character" who had let down his supporters. They filled out the public gallery and their soft crying could be heard throughout the sentencing. Judge Thomas said police caught Auina-Anae "redhanded" after he'd extracted what he thought was methamphetamine, also making the point that if it had been the drug Auina-Anae would've been facing life imprisonment. Judge Thomas noted his sentencing starting point was eight years' imprisonment and listed pleading early, previous good character and time already served as possible discount factors of about 45%. Still, Judge Thomas told the court that applying all of them wouldn't have done justice to the scale of the offending. "This was one of the biggest attempts to manufacture and to import methamphetamine that we have seen. There is a incalculable public interest in deterring methamphetamine crime of any kind," he said. "Having said that, I must still impose the lowest sentence that I possibly can for you, and I do that. "Your sentence is five years in prison." * 1News will have further coverage on the operation to catch Auina-Anae tomorrow.
