Jamaicans Urged to Look Put for Online Job Scams

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security and Peace, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, is urging citizens to be vigilant against fake overseas employment offers being used to trap persons into human trafficking.

Addressing a recent World Day Against Trafficking in Persons town hall at Emancipation Park in St. Andrew, she noted that traffickers are exploiting individuals seeking work abroad through online scams.

She said that victims are lured overseas by fake job offers before being compelled to participate in illegal activities.

Many victims, she pointed out, have had their travel documents confiscated and are subjected to threats, intimidation, violence and debt bondage, making them victims rather than willing participants in criminal enterprises.

Citing estimates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn indicated that more than 300,000 people are currently being held in scam centres across Southeast Asia after being trafficked from nearly 80 countries.

She is imploring persons to verify employment offers, use authorised recruitment channels and look out for fraudulent advertisements and deceptive online recruiters.

She noted that there are legitimate pathways to overseas employment, including through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Overseas Employment Programme.

More than 15,000 Jamaicans participated in the programme last year, representing an increase of almost five per cent over 2024.

Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn said that Jamaica’s expanding overseas employment opportunities have brought significant economic benefits and must be protected.

She noted that combatting human trafficking requires a whole-of-society approach involving government agencies, law enforcement, labour authorities, technology companies, employers, communities and individual citizens.

She emphasised the need for citizens to recognise the warning signs of trafficking, report suspicious activities and support survivors, while reaffirming the Government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and dismantling criminal networks.

She pointed to the role of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), which investigates human trafficking alongside organised and cyber-enabled crime, noting that collaboration with local and international partners has enhanced Jamaica’s ability to dismantle trafficking networks and protect victims.

Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn cited statistics from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) 2025, which showed that authorities conducted 79 trafficking investigations last year, resulting in nine alleged traffickers being arrested and charged, while 12 cases were initiated or advanced through the courts.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was observed under the theme ‘Trapped Behind Scam: Exposing and Disrupting Human Trafficking’, highlighting the changing nature of the crime and the urgent need for greater public awareness.