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A 44-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to four weeks in prison and fined the maximum S$80,000 for operating an employment agency in Singapore without a valid licence.

Ng Chai Hock had been convicted by the State Courts on Feb. 9, 2021, for his offence.

According to a Dec. 10 press release by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ng later appealed against his conviction and sentence.

His appeal was dismissed by the High Court on Oct. 20, 2021.

What happened

Ng operated the employment agency, JOBSINSG.COM, illegally between March 2016 and June 2017.

Investigations by MOM revealed that Ng had posted advertisements reportedly offering employment opportunities to jobseekers.

However, when jobseekers responded to these advertisements and showed up in person at his office, he'd only collect their physical resumes and request up to S$450 from each jobseeker.

Jobseekers would then be informed that his services would only entail the distribution of their resumes, after they had already made payment.

In its press release, MOM advised individuals who intend to engage the services of employment agencies to first verify their legitimacy.

They can check for the agency's licence here, including whether it's been suspended, revoked, or under surveillance.

MOM added: "Operating an unlicensed employment agency is a serious offence. Members of public who have any information on unlicensed EA activities should report the matter to MOM at [email protected]."

Those found guilty of operating unlicensed employment agencies can be fined up to S$80,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

Anyone found to have engaged the services of an unlicensed employment agency, directly or indirectly, can be fined up to S$5,000 per charge.

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