April 27, 1999

Accra - This is to inform you that recently a company with a mailing address in Canada (but incorporated under the laws of Liberia) has placed advertisements in several newspapers in Ghana. These advertisements imply that there are many jobs, with lucrative salaries available.

The advertisements stress the high salaries and agreeable working conditions, but no mention is made of the fact that there is, in all likelihood, many applicants for each well-paid position.

It must also be noted that this firm does not hire employees to work on offshore oil platforms, but rather acts as a middleman, claiming to provide information on offshore jobs to those who engage its services.

No doubt, these advertisements appear enticing to many of your readers. However, those considering engaging the services of this company should be aware that a considerable fee is charged upfront and there is no guarantee of a job being offered. Readers wishing to engage the services of this company might wish to investigate the success of this company in placing applicants by requesting a list of names of persons who can confirm that they received a job following registration with this company. The decision as to whether to engage a particular service is a personal one, but is one which should be made in the light of all the facts.

As with most situations in life, if an offer appears too good to be true, it probably is.

We trust this information will assist you to inform your readers. Richard Schramm, Counsellor, Canadian High Commission