Fact-check: This is a phishing scam 

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A WhatsApp link purporting to be the “Sweden Sponsorship Visa and Job Portal” for an opportunity for Sweden visa sponsorship jobs is false.

The claim encourages international applicants to apply for visa sponsorship jobs in Sweden in 2023. And it employs two distinct links, each of which leads to the same form used to collect personal information, which is a phishing scam.

Screenshot of WhatsApp message with phishing link

The claim employs a predatory strategy to entice victims to complete the application processes as quickly as possible by stating that “the number of applicants is limited….continue.”

And conditions that applicants share with five WhatsApp groups or fifteen WhatsApp friends before being directed to the visa form webpage, with the promise of receiving a confirmation email within 24 hours.

Screenshot of the fake webpage with spelling errors

Screenshot of the ‘application form’ wanting personal details

This ‘continue’ prompt that pops up after form filling

Page requiring applicants to share to more WhatsApp users

But, is this call legitimate? 211 Check takes a look into it here:

The page has spelling and grammar errors which are unusual of an official site. Besides, the website has only a single page and lacks pages like “About Us” or “Contact Us”

The official website for candidates interested in working in the European is EURES, a European cooperation network of employment services, designed to facilitate the free movement of workers. The network has always worked hard to ensure that European citizens can benefit from the same opportunities, despite language barriers, cultural differences, bureaucratic challenges, diverse employment laws and a lack of recognition of educational certificates across Europe.

Opportunities Corners is also a legitimate broad & wide opportunities discovery platform for youth all around the world. They recently published an article about seven Swedish based companies that are sponsoring visas for foreign workers which among them include; Assa Abloy, Ericsson, H&M, IKEA, Spotify, Google Sweden, and Apple Sweden. The link is here

Conclusion:

Scammers are exploiting people online by mirroring or impersonating the original opportunities under false pretense. Their goal is to gather personal information such as people’s contacts, emails, addresses, and country of origin.

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