The Area One Fraud Squad is investigating complaints that hundreds of persons in Montego Bay, St James, seeking overseas employment have been fleeced of millions of dollars by an unregistered employment agency.

The agency operates under the name 'Foreign Link International' and has offices in Montego Bay and Kingston.

Reports are that at least 300 persons from St James, St Ann, St Mary and Kingston have fallen victim to the alleged scam.

"We have solicited the help of our colleagues in the Corporate Area as we are now seeking the mastermind behind the business, who is believed to be living in the Corporate Area," said Detective Sergeant Carl Brown, subofficer in charge of the Area One Fraud Squad.

Several individuals recently visited The Gleaner's MoBay offices to voice their discontent. They said they paid more than US$500 (J$39,000) in processing fees for work in the Caribbean or US$1,300 (J$101,000) to work in the United States.

Persons also had to pay a registration fee of up to J$6,000 and finance their own plane ticket.

One woman who requested anonymity paid approximately $43,500 in processing and registra-tion fees.

"I have just resigned from my job and I thought that I would have been gone (overseas) by now. It's not just me alone; lots more people quit their jobs.

"My child is in school and it's really hard. I'm not rich, I'm poor. This was money that I was able to save and I had to borrow some," she said.

Further reports are that the group uncovered the alleged scam when their scheduled November 13 travel date to the Caribbean was postponed to November 17. However, when they went to the Montego Bay office to make an enquiry about the travel arrangements, the office was empty.

Checks with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security confirmed that Foreign Link International is not a registered employment agency.