Fake Recruiter Scams via bKash
How fraudulent overseas employment offers in Bangladesh collect bKash fees at every stage of a fabricated hiring process.
Part of: Fake Recruiters
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Bangladesh has a large and growing export-labour market, with hundreds of thousands of workers placed overseas annually. This legitimate industry creates ideal cover for fraudulent recruiters who collect bKash fees for jobs in the Middle East, Malaysia, and Europe that do not exist or for which the advertised terms are wildly inflated. Victims from rural areas seeking their first overseas placement are particularly vulnerable.
Because legitimate overseas placements do involve agency fees — permitted under BMET regulations — victims accept the first payment as routine before realising the escalating demands are fraudulent.
How this scam works on bKash
A job advertisement appears on Facebook or is distributed through a local contact network, offering a well-paid position in a Gulf country. A recruiter contacts the applicant and requests an initial bKash registration fee, followed by a medical screening fee, a visa processing fee, and a training deposit — each collected separately to keep individual amounts below the threshold that might trigger suspicion.
An offer letter and a fabricated BMET clearance document are provided. The departure date is repeatedly postponed. Once the victim demands a refund, the recruiter provides false documentation of costs incurred and eventually cuts contact. Some operations involve multiple participants — recruiter, medical officer, and visa agent — each collecting their own bKash fee.
Common red flags
- Recruiter not listed in the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) licensed agency directory
- Multiple sequential bKash fees before any formal employment contract is signed
- Departure date postponed repeatedly with bureaucratic explanations
- Offer letter and visa documents with inconsistent formatting, stamps, or spellings
- Recruiter communicates only via Messenger and cannot provide a physical office address
- No receipt provided for any bKash payment
How to protect yourself
- Verify the recruiter against the BMET licensed agency list at bmet.gov.bd before any payment
- All legitimate overseas placement fees must be receipted by a registered agency — not collected via personal bKash
- Check maximum permissible fees with BMET for your destination country — any excess is illegal
- Visit the agency office in person with a family member before making any payment
- Never pay fees in advance for a job offer you received through Facebook or a third-party contact
How to report it
- Report to the BMET complaint cell at bmet.gov.bd or call the BMET hotline
- Call bKash on 16247 to report the recipient number immediately after discovering fraud
- File a complaint with Bangladesh Police Cyber Crime Unit with all payment records and job offer documents
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum legal recruitment fee in Bangladesh for overseas placement?
The maximum fee varies by destination country and is set by agreement between Bangladesh BMET and the receiving country's labour authority. As a general rule, if you are asked to pay more than the documented bilateral rate, or if fees are collected through personal bKash rather than an agency account, this constitutes an irregularity you should report to BMET before proceeding.