Seafarer job offer scams and hoaxes
Do you have a suspicious job offer for work in a maritime industry?
Please be aware of email, internet and telephone hoaxes and scams asking for personal information or offering Australian visas and jobs.
There have been scammers claiming to be AMSA employees, and employees of other Australian Government departments and agencies. Fake forms which feature AMSA’s logo have also been used to extract personal information and money from victims.
Real or fake job offer
If you suspect an email is a hoax, there are some questions you need to ask:
- Does the job offer sound or look real?
- Did you apply for the job that is being offered?
Receiving an unsolicited job offer can be one of the first signs that the offer is not real.
We will never request money to be paid to another organisation, company or account.
The job offer may be fake if:
- the company asks for personal identification and financial information using the job application form
- you are asked to pay fees related to work permits, police clearance checks, visas, MSIC cards (Maritime Security Identification Card), marine certificates and other licences
- the company is claiming to collect the money for us or you are told that we require the fees be paid to the company.
Look at the email address
Our email addresses:
- end with: ‘@amsa.gov.au’
- do not contain strings of numbers or strange letters.
Fake emails
Examples of fake email addresses used in scams include:
- australiamaritimeoffice @postinbox.com
- au.safetyauthority @post.com
- Cheryl.Immigration @safe-mail.net'.
We are the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) not the 'Australian Maritime Office' or 'Australia Maritime Union'.
If you've been scammed
Do not reply
It may be tempting to reply to them or ask follow-up questions—but do not reply to the email or call them using the contact details provided.
Contact the actual company offering you the job
Find out if the job offer is real by contacting the organisation that made the offer.
- Do not reply to the email or use the contact details they have given you for the job offer.
- Contact the actual company using their official website or phone number as listed in a telephone directory to ask if the job offer is real.
Report the scam
Report suspected scams to Scamwatch at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Working in Australia
Visit the Department of Home Affairs website for information about working in Australia.
Visit AusCheck for:
- information on how to apply for a Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC)
- a list of issuing bodies that provide MSICs.