IT can be a tricky task navigating the red tape involved when seeking government services. Which is probably why scammers often pass themselves off as officials, offering the uninitiated an easy solution to their bureaucracy woes – only to get scammed in the process.
That said, has the Immigration Department appointed any party to "help" out those seeking service like removal of blacklist statuses and foreign worker recalibration programme applications?
Verdict:
FALSE
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban issued a warning not to be taken in by social media accounts promoting such services.
He said initial investigations showed unscrupulous parties are charging fees for these "services" but are nothing more than attempts to dupe the public.
"These social media accounts deliberately mislead the public by offering to handle entry and exit procedures, blacklist removals from Immigration systems and even applications for labour recalibration programmes that do not exist," he said in a statement on Saturday (July 5).
Zakaria said Immigration has never appointed any individuals or agents to act on its behalf.
"All immigration-related matters must be conducted directly at our offices.
"The public is strongly urged not to fall for any offers or advertisements on social media that promise 'backdoor' solutions," he said.
