Sarah refocused on the laptop screen, browsing through the Facebook page. “REAL CANADIAN WORK PERMITS-GUARANTEED SUCCESS-98% APPROVAL.”
The images showed happy Kenyans wearing winter coats standing in front of buildings covered in snow and flags adorned with maple leaves. Her fingers lingered on the keyboard as she contemplated sending another message.
Sarah had been working at a mid-range hotel in Nairobi’s Central Business District for three years after graduating from Kenyatta University with a degree in hospitality management. The hours were long, the money wasn’t a lot, and there were few opportunities for advancement. Her daily social media feeds, meanwhile, featured pictures from Canadian vacations, London eateries, or Dubai hotels that reminded her of classmates who had found employment elsewhere.
“A decision that will change your life,” read the caption underneath a video of a young man receiving his work permit at what appeared to be a Canadian embassy. The page belonged to a company called Global Opportunities Consultancy, run by Mr. Dennis Odhiambo, who claimed to have contacts with employers across Canada.
Sarah had already inquired the day before, and the response was professional and prompt. Now, she was looking to get the ball rolling.
Then her phone pinged for an incoming call. “Hello, Ms. Sarah Kamau?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Wonderful! Dennis here from Global Opportunities. I received your inquiry about our Canadian work permit program. Do you have a moment to discuss your future in Canada?”
Sarah felt the pounding of her heart. “Yes, I can.”
“Fantastic, let’s get to the core of this, then. From what I saw on your CV, I must congratulate you and say from the bottom of my heart that with your credentials and experience, you are just the kind of candidate Canadian employers are receiving these days. The hospitality industry in Canada is thriving, especially in Toronto and Vancouver.”
For the next twenty minutes, Dennis painted a vivid picture of life in Canada, the good salaries, the perks, and the quality of life. He told her his company had special arrangements with several chains of hotels.
“The process is really quite simple,” Dennis said. “We take care of everything, starting from finding a job to work permit application, and then right through the visa processing. You just need to furnish the documentation along with the processing fees.”
“What are the fees?” Sarah asked, her excitement, however, slightly dampened.
“Our complete package is 350,000 shillings,” Dennis slithered. “That is for preparing the documents, processing your visa, and placing you in a job. It’s an investment in your future; our clients often recover that amount in three months of being in employment in Canada.”
Sarah paused. It was quite a huge amount, almost all of her savings, plus money she would have to borrow.
Dennis admitted without question that the number was significant. “Considering the minimum salary in Canada, which is $15 per hour, approximately 1,500 Kenyan shillings, you will make more than three times as much in a month as you do now,” he said.
“Can I think about it?” Sarah asked.
“Of course,” Dennis replied. “You should know, however, that the company has a strict limit on how many applications undergo processing during each cycle. The application process has one final batch next week before the company will not open up new opportunities for three months. Your qualifications show that waiting longer than this moment for the opportunity seems unfortunate.” He continued.
That night, Sarah shared the work opportunity with her close friend Wanjiku.
Wanjiku addressed the situation with doubt. “350,000 shillings is a lot of money. Have you verified this company?”
Sarah mentioned that the organisation’s office was in Westlands and that there was numerous evidence which show people who pursued Canadian immigration through the agency and were successful.
“Has anyone contacted the people? Whose testimonials have you seen?” Wanjiku asked.
Sarah hadn’t. She made the decision to visit Global Opportunities’ physical location the following day. The office space featured both Canadian flags, along with maps and certificates of registration and photographs of satisfied clients apparently settled in Canada.
Dennis greeted her with a friendly smile and presented her to his staff who maintained their diligent work at computers. He then put her in contact with someone who he claimed worked at a resort in Toronto through a telephone conversation.
Dennis asked for a deposit of 150,000 shillings to start the procedures and reserve the slot. The full payment would be made later after her work permit application receives approval.
She returned to the office three days afterwards, after taking out her life savings and getting a loan from her older brother. A few official documents required her signature before she got a receipt along with information about Canada and details about her “upcoming placement.”
Dennis congratulated her for taking her first step in building a life in Canada, as he put it.
The employment migration path had Dennis sending regular emails to Sarah about application processing and requests for placement preference details as she provided the necessary further documentation.
Unexpected complications became the subject of several subsequent messages.
Dennis informed her over the phone about a minor problem during work permit processing. The Canadian authorities recently created a new system to verify immigration-related applications. You must cover 75,000 shillings now for our agency to handle your application more quickly.
After a great deal of hesitation, Sarah took out yet more loans to cover the extra fee amount.
After two weeks, the employment situation took another bad turn when the “mandatory insurance bond” required a payment of 50,000 shillings.
Dennis promised that the money paid for the insurance bond would be returned once she reached Canada. “The Canadian government requires these fees as a part of their policy to protect new immigrants”. He explained that when Sarah asked why the process was getting expensive.
Sarah developed a sense of discomfort because she had already poured significant effort into the process. She couldn’t back out now. She paid the additional fee.
The process continued with requests for “embassy interview preparation fees” and “documentation verification charges” as well as charges for “pre-departure orientation costs.” Sarah paid each fee only because she could barely manage the requested amount while believing the payment would finish the immigration process.
Six months later, she had invested more than 500,000 shillings from borrowed money from family members, together with friends and high-interest loans. Dennis had become uncommunicative while she was yet to obtain a work permit or a job offer.
“The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.”
Sarah held her phone while looking at it in sheer disbelief. The third consecutive day passed without any contact with Dennis’s unreachable number. Fearful due to her persistent attempts to reach Dennis, she made a trip to Westlands, where Global Opportunities had their office.
A “FOR RENT” sign took the place where the office used to exist. The surrounding workplaces told her that Global Opportunities left their building over two weeks ago.
The security guard told her that they had departed during the night, packed everything in a truck after office hours, and left.
Sarah felt physically ill. A computer-generated message from the company’s email stated that the provided email account no longer existed.
Following her complete desperation, she reached out to Facebook users who had provided testimonials about Global Opportunities. The majority of the user profiles either chose not to answer or displayed images belonging to other persons who had their data stolen.
She finally made her way to the Canadian Embassy headquarters. The embassy official expressed sympathy through his head motion.
“Global Opportunities does not hold accreditation from Canadian immigration authorities for consulting services. The organisation has no official ties either to Canadian employers or to our diplomatic embassy in Egypt.” An official explained.
“But all the documents…” Sarah began.
The official confirmed that all the documents were false. Numerous people, including yourself, have visited this embassy with this exact tale, and more individuals will pursue the same path.
The following months proved to be the most difficult point of Sarah’s entire life. The disgrace of being deceived was nearly equivalent to the monetary damages she suffered. She had to tell every person who had provided financial assistance that her earnings in Canada would result in no repayment, since Canada did not offer her employment.
Despite sympathy from her brother, she received criticism from some members of their circle. When she couldn’t pay back the money, the loan company started using intimidating communication to harass her.
That night, while Sarah calculated her additional work schedule to pay off her debts, her phone alerted her to a new notification. Wanjiku published a news article about the police raids, which exposed an immigration fraud ring targeting young professionals.
An image in the article showed Dennis as well as several co-conspirators being led away by police officers while handcuffed. The authorities spent months studying the illegal organisation while people started reporting fraud they had experienced with the ring. The fraud ring employed various business names across different cities to steal hundreds of prospective emigrants out of millions of shillings.
Sarah proceeded to dial the police contact information that appeared in the news article. She gave statements supported by evidence to police while she joined the victims’ support group established by the Consumer Federation of Kenya throughout the following weeks. Although most of the stolen money disappeared into offshore accounts, the legal case combined with meeting victims, enabled Sarah to start recovering from the emotional damage of the scam.
A year since the incident, Sarah found herself working in human resources at a hotel in which she had once served as a receptionist. The scam made her focus on her work with purpose while taking extra duties and attending evening courses for HR management.
She received the promotion three months ago through an authentic channel that asked for no illegal payment or hypothetical intermediary services.
Two items stood on her desk: a newspaper article showing the prison sentences given to Dennis along with his partners in crime. On top of the other document lay a government brochure containing information about authorised international work programs, which Sarah now used for her volunteer work.
Sarah checked her phone to find a message from the victims’ support group that now focused on financial literacy education. The group was gathering during the weekend to examine secure financial investment approaches.
Her new manager spotted the international employment brochure and questioned, “Still dreaming of going abroad?”
A little smile appeared on Sarah’s face as she answered, “Someday. This time around, I intend to secure an authentic professional opportunity. I choose to devote my work to meaningful tasks right here until the time arrives for my desired travel.”
Her manager nodded approvingly. “The hotel chain plans to establish its Rwanda branch for next year. The establishment requires HR personnel experienced in operating the existing systems. The international team needs additional members, and I would be glad to suggest you for the opening when there’s a suitable opportunity.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. She answered with enthusiasm, “I would truly appreciate that. I’ve already obtained my passport, just in case opportunities arise.”
Sarah began creating a new document after her manager disappeared. The top of her document displayed “International Employment Checklist: How to Verify Legitimate Opportunities.” Her difficult experiences had taught her a valuable lesson, and she vowed to help others avoid similar mistakes.
Check out:
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