Meridian Migration

How to spot a fake job offer for Europe

The Ministry of External Affairs reports fake recruitment for several Eastern European countries, with candidates overcharged by ₹2 to 5 lakh. Most fake offers share the same signs: payment up front, a visit visa instead of a work visa, no named employer, and an unregistered agent.

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Check an offer you received

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Were you asked to pay before an interview, or to "reserve" the job?
Were you told to travel on a tourist, visit or Schengen visa and get a work permit later?
Does the offer name the employer, the city, the job, the pay and the contract terms?
Did the agent show an MEA registration number that you found in the list of active agents on emigrate.gov.in?
Were you asked to hand over your passport or original documents, or send them on WhatsApp?
Were you asked to pay in cash, or into a personal bank account?
Did a "company" ask you for a deposit for training or travel?
Did someone call, claiming to be from an Indian embassy, and ask for money?

What the government and embassies warn about

  • Ministry of External Affairs (December 2023). Illegal or fake recruitment is being reported for several East European countries. Illegal agents operate through Facebook, WhatsApp and text messages. Use only registered recruiting agents, check them on emigrate.gov.in, and remember a tourist visa is not a work visa.
  • Embassy of India, Sofia (February 2023). People posing as Bulgarian companies send false job offers to Indian citizens and ask for deposits for training or travel.
  • Embassy of Lithuania in India. Fraudulent offers ask for payment in advance; Schengen visas are not suitable for employment; registration at VFS is free.
  • Embassy of India, Bratislava (updated October 2026). Verify employment contracts before accepting; avoid handing over your passport or original documents; avoid unauthorised employment.
  • Embassy of India, Bucharest. Fraudsters spoof embassy phone numbers to extort money from Indians in Romania and nearby countries.

MEA reports 3,505 illegal agents notified on eMigrate as of 9 April 2026.

How to check any recruiting agent

Ask for the agent’s MEA registration certificate number, then look for it in the list of active recruiting agents on emigrate.gov.in.

Step by step: how to verify an agent, including us

Who to call if something is wrong

Questions

How can I check if a work permit is fake or real?

Check it against the issuing country’s official system or office, using the details on our country process pages, and confirm the employer and the agent independently. Do not rely on a scan sent on WhatsApp.

Is it normal to pay an agent before the interview?

MEA warns about agents who overcharge candidates for Eastern European jobs. By law, a recruiting agent may take payment only digitally or by bank draft, with a receipt, never cash.

eoivilnius.gov.inchecked 24 Oct 2026

Is Poland giving work visas now?

Yes, but far fewer than before: Poland issued 16,000 work visas in the first quarter of 2026, 87% fewer than in the same quarter of 2022 (ministry figures reported by Polskie Radio), and appointment dates in India are given by an electronic draw. Anyone who promises a quick Polish visa is a warning sign.

Sources

  1. 1.MEA advisory on overcharging and illegal agents, Dec 2023 (via Embassy of India, Vilnius) eoivilnius.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  2. 2.MEA advisory on overcharging, published by the Government of Goa, 27 Mar 2024 goa.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  3. 3.MEA, Overview of work of Overseas Employment (April 2026) mea.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  4. 4.Embassy of India, Sofia: advisory about fraudulent job offers (3 Feb 2023) indembsofia.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  5. 5.Embassy of Lithuania in India: warning on fraudulent job offers in.mfa.lt, checked 24 Oct 2026
  6. 6.Embassy of India, Bratislava: Citizen’s Corner (updated 23 Oct 2026) eoibratislava.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  7. 7.Embassy of India, Bucharest: extortion fraud notice eoibucharest.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  8. 8.MEA, Overseas Employment FAQ mea.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  9. 9.MEA, grievance redressal (MADAD, eMigrate) mea.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026
  10. 10.MEA, Guidelines for Registration as Recruiting Agents mea.gov.in, checked 24 Oct 2026