Here's another modus operandi you should be wary of. The Philippine Embassy in Hanoi has warned jobseekers against unauthorized recruiters promising work in Vietnam after it received reports that certain Filipinos based in Ho Chi Minh City have recruited workers from the Philippines for jobs in that city.

Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh without valid job contracts, work visas, and work permits, the victims found no employers and no jobs waiting for them. The “recruiters,” who allegedly earned from the overpriced plane tickets paid by the victims, left the recruits to fend for themselves.

Each victim paid from P25,000 to P30,000 for the Manila-Ho Chi Minh City-Manila plane ticket, or around $535 to $640. The airfare of Cebu Pacific and PAL ranges from $150 to $400 only.

The embassy urged all Filipinos wanting to work in Vietnam to go through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) for proper documentation to avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters. As in all other countries, proper documentation is a must for foreign workers in Vietnam.

Most Filipinos working in Vietnam occupy executive and managerial positions in fields such as construction and engineering, accountancy, banking and investment, education, garment/textile industry, hotel and restaurant management, food and beverage, marketing, furniture industry, medicine, and foreign investment projects.