[Unofficial translation provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

“Pay ¥16,000 to Work Abroad? Over 30 in Shanghai Fall Victim to ‘Black Agency’ Scam” Legal Daily, April 27, 2025

In early April, the Xujing Police Station under the Qingpu Branch of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau received reports from local residents. The complainants stated that they had signed overseas employment agreements with a labor agency in Xujing and paid a service fee of ¥16,000. However, several months passed without any progress, as the agency repeatedly cited reasons such as “incomplete documents” or “pending approval” to delay the process, ultimately failing to arrange overseas work placements.

Under the guidance of the Municipal Public Security Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Unit, [...] authorities discovered that the company in question had not obtained the required qualifications to operate in the fields of overseas visa or labor services, nor had it actually handled any applications for overseas employment. It was, in fact, a fraud ring posing as a legitimate labor agency.

Despite knowing the company lacked legal credentials and that many clients did not meet the criteria for working abroad [...] the suspects continued to promise job placements overseas. They collected service fees of approximately ¥16,000 from each interested individual.

At present, [...] four suspects have been criminally detained on charges of fraud, while two others have been placed under criminal compulsory measures. The case remains under further investigation.