How to Avoid a Fake Job Offer: Check Not Just the Vacancy, But the Agency

Can you trust a job vacancy you found abroad? The fundamental rule of safe employment is straightforward: you need to verify not only the vacancy itself, but also who is offering it. Labour exploitation remains a serious challenge - in 2025 alone, 194 victims of human trafficking were identified in Poland, and prosecutors opened 78 sets of proceedings.

The danger is not always obvious. Modern human trafficking may begin not with violence, but with an ordinary Facebook message along the lines of "workers urgently needed, high pay, job in Germany / Poland or another country". The person is promised a good salary, accommodation and help with relocation - and then, upon arrival, the conditions change abruptly.

The Polish Police advise caution if:

• the vacancy comes from an unknown or unverified source;
• the salary is exceptionally high for minimal candidate requirements;
• someone is pressing you to leave as soon as possible;
• there is no clear information about the employer;
• problems arise when trying to conclude a contract;
• you are asked to pay a placement fee before work begins.

How to check an agency: in Poland, the legality of an employment agency can be verified in the official KRAZ register (Krajowy Rejestr Agencji Zatrudnienia - the National Register of Employment Agencies) via the STOR system - by company name, registration number or NIP (tax identification number). Before leaving, it is also worth establishing who the actual employer is, what the working conditions and pay will be, what schedule applies, where and at what cost the worker will be accommodated, and what deductions from salary are possible.

Verifying the agency, the employer and the conditions before departure is not a formality - it is one of the most basic ways to protect yourself. Choose employers with a transparent, publicly active profile and check them thoroughly.

More information in the Ukrainian press: rbc.ua