Dominican Labor Ministry warns citizens about fraudulent job offers abroad

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Minister of Labor Eddy Olivares Ortega warned citizens about potentially fraudulent job offers abroad that promise high salaries and better living conditions but could expose Dominicans to risks related to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Olivares urged anyone who receives an overseas job offer through social media, digital platforms, agencies, intermediaries or personal contacts to have it verified by the Ministry of Labor before accepting, signing a contract or traveling.

The minister said the Dominican Republic does not have a bilateral labor migration agreement with Russia governing this type of recruitment. However, he clarified that the absence of such an agreement does not automatically make individual employment contracts abroad illegal.

He warned that concealing the true nature of a job, misrepresenting working conditions or failing to disclose potential risks can seriously threaten workers’ rights and safety. The warning follows reports of Dominicans who allegedly traveled to Russia for purported technical or civilian jobs and later became involved in circumstances linked to the armed conflict.

Olivares advised citizens to be cautious of offers promising unusually high salaries without clearly identifying the employer, duties, workplace or contract terms. He also warned against requests for unjustified advance payments and dealing with intermediaries whose identities cannot be verified.

The minister further urged Dominicans not to surrender passports or personal documents without legal safeguards and to avoid signing contracts they do not fully understand. He called for suspicious offers to be reported to the appropriate authorities to help prevent fraud, labor exploitation and human trafficking.