The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Sunday warned Filipino jobseekers anew against fictitious recruitment firms following the discovery of a new recruitment scam by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, Germany.

DFA disclosed that the Philippine Embassy in Berlin asked for assistance in bringing the matter to the attention of government authorities such as the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Justice, and Philippine National Police.

Based on a report by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, two Filipino women could have been victimized by a non-existent recruitment firm had they not checked with the embassy for the authenticity of the company, the Markel-Power International, allegedly located in Bremen, Germany.

The company was reportedly asking to pay 70 euros through Western Union to an employment company based in Monza, Italy to complete the recruitment procedures.

The embassy claimed it had discovered that Markel-Power International is non-existent, is not registered with the Bremen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has a fictitious address, has no telephone and fax numbers, and is using a host in the United States for its English website.

“The embassy is convinced that this recruitment scheme is another variation of the Nigerian 4-1-9 advanced fee scam designed to victimize innocent Filipino jobseekers,” Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Christine Queenie C. Mangunay said.

The Nigerian 4-1-9 scam, also known as the Nigerian Advance Fee scheme, is a worldwide scam which involves the receipt of an unsolicited letter allegedly from a Nigerian Central Bank employee or from the Nigerian government.It is named after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses fraudulent schemes.

The DFA earlier warned Overseas Filipino Workers and Filipino migrants abroad of lottery or raffle text scams which circulated in Vienna, Austria. The scam had also required money transfer from “winners” prior to receiving their so-called prizes.