TVET Regional Director for Kisumu and Siaya Counties Audrey Odhiambo has warned youths seeking overseas jobs against being fleeced by scammers posing as employment agents.
Audrey Odhiambo said many unsuspecting young people have fallen victim to con artists, losing millions of shillings, while others have been unwittingly recruited as scammers or money launderers abroad. She advised job seekers to conduct due diligence before signing any contracts.
Speaking at Kisumu National Polytechnic during an induction programme organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Diaspora Affairs department, Odhiambo said there were many openings abroad for those who followed the laid-down protocols, noting that many Kenyans had invested heavily back home after securing lucrative jobs overseas, even as millions of jobless youths remained idle locally despite the openings available abroad.
She also urged youths to be on the lookout for cybercriminals, warning that fraudsters could easily gain access to their bank accounts or coerce them into criminal activity, and called for more careful data management and protection among young people.
Ministry official Jacinta Wenani urged youths to take advantage of job openings abroad while remaining alert to people posing as recruitment agents to defraud them. She took the youths through the procedures required before securing a job abroad, noting that students with a background in TVET have an added advantage and are more competitive in the overseas job market.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo and other senior government officials have recently raised concerns over rising cyber threats, AI-powered scams and data security.
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