Cameroonians Scammed, Stranded and At Risk in Singapore After Fake Job Promises

The young men, who arrived in Singapore in recent weeks, were promised high-paying jobs by local “agents” in Cameroon claiming to have connections in Asia. They reportedly paid the equivalent of up to a year’s salary for what they believed were legitimate work permits and employment contracts.

But upon arrival, the victims were handed only 30-day tourist visas — and quickly discovered there were no jobs waiting for them. Investigations later revealed that Singapore does not offer work visas to Cameroonian nationals.

“We were deceived and abandoned,” one of the victims told Cameroon Concord by phone from Singapore. “Now we are broke, desperate and afraid of being arrested.”

The scam, which appears to be part of a growing regional network of fraudulent recruiters, has left the victims scrambling for money to avoid overstaying their visas and facing detention.

Migration experts and activists warn that this may only be the tip of the iceberg, as more cases of Cameroonians stranded in Asia and the Gulf emerge.

Civil society groups are calling for tougher action from Yaoundé against scam recruiters and better education for youths about the risks of irregular migration.

The Ministry of External Relations has yet to comment on the case.

Cameroon Concord will continue to follow this developing story and bring our readers exclusive updates as they come in.

Rachel Kan