Fake Recruiters Targeting People in Georgia
Fraudulent overseas job offers target Georgian nationals with promises of high-paying roles that turn out to be trafficking or forced-labour situations.
Part of: Fake Recruiters
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Labour migration is a significant economic reality for Georgia, with large numbers of Georgian nationals working in Turkey, Germany, Greece, and elsewhere in Europe. Fraudulent recruitment networks exploit this migration culture by advertising fake positions that lead to trafficking, forced labour, or scam-compound operations.
Georgia has also become a transit and destination country for trafficking networks operating in the region. Young people seeking opportunities abroad are particularly vulnerable to recruitment offers circulated on social media and through informal community networks.
How this scam works on Georgia
Fake job advertisements circulate on Facebook, Telegram, and Georgian job boards, offering hotel, hospitality, construction, or IT support roles in Turkey, the UAE, or East Asia. Salaries quoted are several times the Georgian average. The recruiter covers upfront transport costs to make the offer appear genuine.
On arrival, some workers find themselves in legitimate jobs that nevertheless do not match the advertised terms. Others are directed to locations where their passports are confiscated and they are coerced into work — including online fraud operations — under threat of debt bondage.
For online scam compound recruitment specifically, Georgian IT and English-speaking graduates are sought out for 'customer support' or 'data entry' roles in Southeast Asia that turn out to be fraud operations.
Common red flags
- Salary offers are dramatically higher than comparable roles in Georgia.
- The recruiter covers all travel costs before the worker has formally accepted the role.
- The employer cannot be verified through official business registers of the destination country.
- You are asked to travel quickly without time to do proper research.
- The role description is vague and changes after you have committed to travel.
- Your passport or ID is requested for 'processing' before departure.
How to protect yourself
- Verify any overseas employer through official channels in the destination country.
- Check with Georgia's Agency of Labour and Employment to confirm whether the recruiter is licensed.
- Never hand over your passport to an employer before employment formally begins.
- Share destination details with trusted family before travelling for any overseas role.
- Contact the Georgian embassy in the destination country if you encounter problems on arrival.
- Report suspicious recruitment offers to Georgian Police or the anti-trafficking hotline.
How to report it
- Call the Georgian anti-trafficking hotline (116 006) if you suspect a job offer involves trafficking.
- Report fake job advertisements to Georgian Police and the Agency of Labour and Employment.
- Contact the IOM Georgia office for support and advice.
Frequently asked questions
How can a Georgian job-seeker distinguish a real overseas job from a scam?
Legitimate overseas employers appear on official business registers, do not take your passport, and do not rush you. Use the Georgian Agency of Labour and Employment licensed-recruiter list, and contact the destination country's Georgian embassy to verify the employer before accepting.