News Forum - Thai workers in Japan fall victim to job scam, left stranded and penniless

[Thaiger]

Two Thai workers in Japan contacted the media for help after falling victim to a job scam in which they were lured to Japan with promises of high salaries, only to end up with no work and living in substandard conditions. The victims claim that the job agents, who charged them 150,000 baht (US$4,321) each … …

The story Thai workers in Japan fall victim to job scam, left stranded and penniless as seen on Thaiger News.

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[palooka]

Hmmm strange one here.

Tendons and ligaments yes.

Pus equals infection, how?

You don't get this from reps.

More to this.

(or is it just about baht?)

[BigHewer]

From the article:

“The victims of the job scam include 42 year old Wasana Suwannakram, and 29 year old Ton, who paid a total of 300,000 baht (US$8,640) to the agent, Ruen, and his wife. After arriving in Japan, they found themselves without work or money to survive, living with other victims in a small room. The workers claimed that they were promised jobs and salaries of at least 50,000 baht (US$1,440) at factories and as technicians, but arrived in Japan to find no such opportunities.”

Something not quite right about the story. I wonder if more information will come out.

1. The agent doesn’t have a Japanese name. What nationality?

2. Nothing fantastical about the salary. And there are loads of job opportunities for entry level technicians from my experience. 

3. What kind of visas were they on? Japan Training Visa?

The story could reflect badly on Japan but it shouldn’t. I think there are a few details we don’t know. 

 

[Rookiescot]

3 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

From the article:

“The victims of the job scam include 42 year old Wasana Suwannakram, and 29 year old Ton, who paid a total of 300,000 baht (US$8,640) to the agent, Ruen, and his wife. After arriving in Japan, they found themselves without work or money to survive, living with other victims in a small room. The workers claimed that they were promised jobs and salaries of at least 50,000 baht (US$1,440) at factories and as technicians, but arrived in Japan to find no such opportunities.”

Something not quite right about the story. I wonder if more information will come out.

1. The agent doesn’t have a Japanese name. What nationality?

2. Nothing fantastical about the salary. And there are loads of job opportunities for entry level technicians from my experience. 

3. What kind of visas were they on? Japan Training Visa?

The story could reflect badly on Japan but it shouldn’t. I think there are a few details we don’t know. 

BigH just stop it.

You lured these poor people to Japan and worked them like whipped dogs.

Do the right thing and just pay them.

[BigHewer]

My wife’s first job in Japan was as a factory technician, before she could speak any Japanese. 

I know employers who routinely employ foreign technicians and trainees. Industry is crying out for them. 

Last year when I was on assignment out in the sticks, I befriended a group of Brazilians who were boozing up in the 7-11 parking lot near where I was staying. Found out over time they were all pipe welders recruited from Brazil and on USD 10,000 / month. 

Either these scammers are clueless or the victims have no skills. Or something else?

[gazmo16]

Pound to a penny this was a Thai on Thai scam and nothing to do with the Japanese.

If any one of the victims had stopped long enough to google visa requirements it would have set alarm bells ringing and stopped their naïve venture. 

[ChrisS]

Sounds like scam right from the off. Why do people not do ANY research before jumping into these things. I am not sure that it involves any Japanese companies or even individuals, reads to me like greedy Thai conning his fellow Thais.

[Marc26]

2 hours ago, ChrisS said:

Sounds like scam right from the off. Why do people not do ANY research before jumping into these things. I am not sure that it involves any Japanese companies or even individuals, reads to me like greedy Thai conning his fellow Thais.

Desperate people want to believe 

 

My sister is always looking at some sort of scam to make money(she never does it because gets talked out of it)

 

 

Or some people really aren't that smart 

My fiends brother asked me a question 2 days ago.

He says

"Let me ask you a question? If these girls on Facebook hit you up talking about Crypto, is that a scam? Are they trying to get something from you? "

 

 

He legitimately had to ask me that 

[ChrisS]

"

"Let me ask you a question? If these girls on Facebook hit you up talking about Crypto, is that a scam? Are they trying to get something from you? "

He legitimately had to ask me that "

God help him if he gets an e mail from a 'Nigerian Prince' :) How can they all be so niaive? It's not like they don't understand the concept of scam, there are plenty of scams perpetrated and reported on in Thailand by Thais.

 

[Pinga]

On 6/20/2023 at 4:21 PM, BigHewer said:

Either these scammers are clueless or the victims have no skills. Or something else?

No doubt the victims had no skills nor a proper visa. I find it a bit hard to have sympathy for stupid people who do zero research or critical thinking before jumping into a questionable job opportunity in a different country. Massage jobs in the Middle East - what could go wrong...

[gazmo16]

A scammer in Thailand will get a slap on the wrist ( if anything) compared with the punishment and personal shame handed out to a Japanese scammer publicly put on trial.

[BigHewer]

15 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Desperate people want to believe 

15 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Or some people really aren't that smart 

There it is in a nutshell right there. Fertile hunting ground for scammers.