The Myanmar Seafarers’ Federation (MSF) has reported a rise in the number of new seafarers who have been scammed by fake agencies promising them immediate jobs.

The federation said that many victims have approached them for help after losing between 6 million and 100 million kyats to the fraudsters.

The MSF also said that both new and old seafarers have to pay high fees to get employed. The Myanmar Maritime Workers’ Federation confirmed that new seafarers are charged exorbitant amounts by some agencies.

To prevent such fraud, the Department of Marine Administration (DMA) publishes a list of Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Services (SRPS) that have official licenses from the DMA on its website. However, the MSF said that many new seafarers are unaware of this list and fall prey to the fake agencies.

To make it easier for the seafarers to access the list, the DMA has displayed it on a notice board at its office in Dawbon Township, Yangon Region, according to the federation.

The MSF has advised both new and old seafarers to apply directly to the licensed SRPSs when looking for a job and to avoid any agency that asks for money upfront or guarantees immediate employment.