Recruitment agencies: tell the real from the fake
A good agency can help you reach a real job, in India or abroad. A fake one can take your savings, your passport and years of your life. Check every agency before you give money or documents.
SkilledMuslim.com is not a recruitment agency. We do not recommend any agency, and we never charge anyone.
Two kinds of agency
Jobs in India
Placement and staffing agencies fill factory, office, security, hospital and hotel jobs. A genuine agency earns its money from the employer, not from you. India does not yet have a national licence list for these agencies, so you must check them yourself.
Jobs abroad
Only a Recruiting Agent licensed by the Ministry of External Affairs may send workers abroad. The government’s eMigrate portal (emigrate.gov.in) shows a “List of active RA” with licence numbers, and a separate list of unregistered (illegal) agents.
Going abroad, including the Gulf: five checks
| Check | How to do it |
|---|---|
| 1. Is the agent licensed? | Find the agent in the “List of active RA” on emigrate.gov.in. The name, address and licence number must match the office you visit, and the licence number must be shown at the office and in every advertisement, including on social media. Also check the list of unregistered agents. If the agent is not on the active list, walk away. |
| 2. Is the job real? | Ask for the employer’s name, a written offer and the employment contract before you pay. The contract must be signed by the foreign employer, the agent and you, and state salary, hours, duty, food, housing and return ticket. |
| 3. Is it a work visa? | Never travel on a visit or tourist visa for a job. You cannot work legally on it, and you can be jailed or deported. |
| 4. Is your emigration clearance done? | If your passport is ECR (Emigration Check Required), going to work in the Gulf and other listed countries needs clearance through eMigrate. Insurance under the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana is part of this. |
| 5. Is the fee lawful and receipted? | Under the Emigration Act, a licensed agent may charge you no more than ₹30,000 plus 18% GST for its service, and must give you a receipt. Illegal agents often ask ₹2–5 lakh. Pay by bank transfer, get a receipt with the licence number, and never pay cash to a sub-agent. |
A new law, the Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, has been proposed to replace the Emigration Act, 1983. If it passes, agents may be renamed “Overseas Placement Agencies”. The checks stay the same; eMigrate will show the current rules.
Jobs in India: four checks
A real office
Visit the office. A genuine agency has a fixed address and a company email. Check its company name on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs site (mca.gov.in) and its GST number with “Search Taxpayer” on gst.gov.in.
A named employer
Ask which company you will work for. Look up the company yourself and call its own number to confirm the opening.
A written offer
Salary, PF and ESI, working hours and place of work should be in writing before you join. Read about offer letters.
No money before work
Be very careful with “registration”, “training”, “uniform” or “security deposit” fees. If an agency asks for money before you have a written job offer, walk away. A staffing company that supplies contract workers should also hold a contract labour licence: ask to see it.
Large agencies in India that say they never charge candidates
Each firm below states on its own website that it does not take money from job seekers. The first nine handle contract jobs, factory and facility work and apprenticeships, so they suit 10th, 12th and ITI youth best. The rest mostly hire graduates and experienced staff.
| Agency | Main work | Apply only at |
|---|---|---|
| TeamLease | Contract and permanent jobs, apprenticeships | teamlease.com |
| Quess Corp | Retail, factory, facility, telecom and IT staffing | quesscorp.com |
| Randstad India (formerly Ma Foi) | Contract and permanent roles in many sectors | randstad.in |
| Adecco India | Staffing and engineering roles | adecco.com/en-in |
| ManpowerGroup India | Staffing and IT recruitment | manpowergroup.co.in |
| CIEL HR | Recruitment, staffing, NATS/NAPS apprenticeships | cielhr.com |
| Genius HRTech | Permanent and flexi staffing, facility services | geniushrtech.com |
| Spectrum Talent Management | Staffing, contract staffing, apprentices | stmpl.co.in |
| 2COMS | Domestic recruitment and staffing | 2coms.com |
| Gi Group India | Staffing and recruitment | gigroupholding.com/india |
| PERSOL India (formerly Kelly Services India) | Staffing and recruitment | persolindia.com |
| Careernet | Recruitment and professional staffing | careernet.in |
| TEKsystems (Allegis Group) | IT staffing | teksystems.com/en-in |
| Michael Page India | Mid- and senior-level professionals | michaelpage.co.in |
| Hays India | Professional recruitment | hays.in |
| Robert Walters | Professional recruitment | robertwalters.com |
| Korn Ferry | Senior and executive roles | kornferry.com |
- Apply only on the agency’s own website. Scammers copy these names on WhatsApp and Telegram.
- Trust emails only from the agency’s own domain (for example @teamlease.com), never Gmail or similar.
- Any request for money, an OTP or a bank PIN in their name is fraud, by their own published policies.
Listed for information only. SkilledMuslim.com has no link with these firms and does not recommend any of them. Policies last checked October 2026; check the firm’s own website before you apply.
Warning signs of a fake agent
- Works only on WhatsApp or phone, with no office or licence number.
- Promises a job with no interview, no trade test and very high salary.
- Asks for money in cash or to a personal account, or keeps asking for “one more fee”.
- Keeps your original passport or certificates. Give copies only.
- Sends you on a visit visa, or tells you to skip emigration clearance.
- Hurries you: “only two seats left, pay today”.
- Uses a mosque, madrasa or community name to win trust but shows no papers.
Before you leave home
- Keep photos of your passport, visa, contract, offer letter and every receipt in DigiLocker or email, and give copies to your family.
- Write down the agent’s name, licence number and address, and the employer’s address abroad.
- Save the Indian Embassy’s number for your destination country, and know about the MADAD portal (madad.gov.in) for help abroad.
- Attend pre-departure orientation if it is offered: it covers your rights, the local law and how to get help.
If you have been cheated
Overseas job fraud
Call the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra, toll-free 1800 11 3090 ([email protected]). Complain through eMigrate or the nearest Protector of Emigrants office, and file a police complaint. If you are already abroad, contact the Indian Embassy or MADAD.
Online payment fraud
Call 1930 at once, report on cybercrime.gov.in and ask your bank to block the payment. Step by step.
Warn others
Tell your family, masjid committee and friends. One warning can save many families from the same trap.
Honesty is part of faith
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim 102). An agent who deceives a poor worker carries a heavy burden. If you work in recruitment, be the honest one people can trust.
Check the licence, read the contract, keep your originals. A real job can wait one day for you to check.
SkilledMuslim.com is not a recruitment agency and never charges anyone for a job. Do not pay anyone in our name.