War in Ukraine: in Belgium, refugees are victims of employment scam

Veronika wanted to fit in as quickly as possible, but she almost got trapped. She arrived from Ukraine ten days ago with her mother and son, and was hosted in a host family in Nivelles, south of Brussels (Belgium). Looking for a job, she received a message on her phone. “I responded to an advertisement and someone gave me information about a job. (…) He told me that I had to give 300 euros first before starting to work”she says. The number came from Ukraine and offered an imaginary job in a cheese factory in Nivelles.

Like other refugees, Veronika is the target of this type ofscam, but she remains determined to find a job. “I have to find a job, I can’t stay here doing nothing. I want to fight to build a new life for my son and my mother, I have to protect my family”she says. The authorities want to careful, because these scams could progress with the arrival of other refugees. Temp agencies warn. Without the help of her host family, Veronika would have paid the money.