Shipping’s dark crewing underbelly

Would-be and existing seafarers need to be educated on the risks of crewing scams

By Felicity Landon

We could call them rogue crewing agents – but why not say it how it is? We’re talking about international scammers, sophisticated criminal gangs, hardened individuals and groups set on exploiting vulnerable and often desperate people. We’re talking about extortion, blackmail and violence. We are talking about seafarers being persuaded to hand over thousands of dollars only to end up enduring terrible conditions on a substandard vessel – or, even, never getting on a vessel at all.

Last year, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) launched a campaign to combat fraudulent crewing agents. It reported these were increasing, particularly because so many people use social media to search for jobs, and scammers are only too happy to advertise fake jobs via Facebook or LinkedIn. “Seafarers respond because these scammers prey on the desperation of some people for work. They then start charging them using fake visa requests and things like that,” warned ITF inspectorate co-ordinator Steve Trowsdale.

A 2024 report from The Mission to Seafarers and Liverpool John Moores University found that from a survey of over 200 seafarers, almost 65% stated that they were aware of illegal demands for recruitment or placement fees, either through personal experience or the experience of a colleague. Over half of respondents said that the demand for illegal fees and charges were from the crewing agent appointed by the shipping company. A further 31% said it was from an individual with links to the crewing agent and 11% said the demand came from an employee of the shipping company.

Steven Jones, maritime consultant, says the number of rogue agents is likely higher than we know. “In the chain of relationships between the shipowner and the seafarer, there seem to be more and more little links appearing. These links are where it’s possible for someone to get into the chain and get closer to the seafarers, especially in certain countries. Someone spots an opportunity to get into that relationship and then has control over the seafarers.”

The single largest issue here is when seafarers are persuaded to pay large ‘recruitment fees’, says Jones. “Often they are not even seafarers at that point, just an ambitious young person who wants to achieve something and is told ‘it will cost you this many dollars’. Entire families, villages or communities may rally round to raise, say, $10,000 to get this person the opportunity to become a seafarer – then they end up on some terrible ship, nothing like they were promised, no real job, and ultimately the ship gets abandoned, or they don’t ever get paid. Once the operator disappears, the poor seafarer is trapped, desperate, can’t go home and wondering how on earth they are going to repay their families.”

Violence and intimidation

Jones equates all of this to loan sharks; there are well reported cases of violence and intimidation against seafarers and even their families who try to fight back or highlight the issues. And there are concerns about a lack of awareness and knowledge of how rogue operators work, he says. “In communities, this is where probably most of the work needs to be done – education. If someone rocks up and says they are going to give you an opportunity to be on the best ships in the world, they are not.”

It doesn’t have to be in person, of course: “I see it constantly on Facebook: ‘Come and join a ship, send an email to this Gmail account’. But if you are not attuned to the way it all works and don’t know the legitimate pieces of the jigsaw, plus they are being friendly and nice, and it seems like the answer, of course it is tempting.

“The seafarers can end up on older ships in problem trading areas with a lack of protection, weaker enforcement and wondering where to turn. Even if you can get in contact with your family – and the likelihood of good connectivity on these types of ships is slim – what are you going to say to your family and friends who raised money to help you? ‘You got it wrong, you are not being paid, you are not getting the money back’? The mental health impact of these kinds of pressures must push people to absolute breaking point.”

Capt Henrik Jensen, CEO of Danica, says rogue agents are mainly active in Ukraine, Russia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. “In certain countries, rogue crewing agents are a real problem,” he says. “They ask for a commission from the seafarers or give them false information about what vessel they are joining. They may say it’s a super new vessel and eventually the seafarer joins a completely different vessel – which they only find out when they have the ship in front of them at the pier.”

Checks and clarifications

If a back-street crewing agency with two employees in the office is offering a job with a leading tanker owner without any screening or interviews, then the seafarer should of course be suspicious, says Jensen. “For the simple fraudulent agencies where the seafarer is paying a commission to get a job on a nice vessel and then finds instead that they are joining a substandard vessel, seafarers should check on the internet the ownership and position of the vessel before they sign the employment contract and, if in doubt, ask for clarification.”

However, he also warns of fraud where there is a mutual agreement between the crewing agent and the seafarer. The agent, knowing the shipping company’s requirements, designs the seafarer’s CV to match perfectly and guides the seafarer on what questions they will be asked at interview. “Some even offer a substitute to sit online tests. For this ‘service’, the seafarer pays a fee or commission. On social media there are even ‘consultants’ who advertise that they can create a CV that matches any rank and vessel type. These consultants construct a CV and extract details of the vessels from internet databases, such as equipment, crew nationalities, trade area, port state controls and casualties. They give the seafarer a ‘handbook’ with this information which he/she can study and then give the right answers if questioned at the interview with the owner.”

This is an extreme example, says Jensen, but the mutual agreement element between agency and seafarer is common. “In general, there are enough offers for competent seafarers and it is possible to find a job matching each seafarer’s capabilities. However, seafarers striving for higher wages may be willing to pay the rogue agency for their ‘assistance’.”

He warns seafarers: “The biggest risks are the risks to yourselves, your colleagues and the safety of the ship. Working alongside a crew member who has achieved the role through false documentation and has no proper experience in that position or with the vessel’s equipment is a big risk to safety. Seafarers need to be able to trust their colleagues and work together professionally in a high-pressure environment. And shipowners need properly qualified crew on board. So faking documentation, experience and abilities is very dangerous.”

Safety risks

Seafarers and shipping companies must be aware of the growing problem of rogue crewing agents to ensure that the risks are kept to a minimum, says Capt Saurabh Mahesh, Columbia’s Group director crewing (operations). “As with all scams, they are becoming more complex and harder to spot at a glance, but it is feasible to identify them by remaining vigilant against these con artists. The scale of the problem really depends on locations and are mainly observed in countries which are not MLC-ratified or are without adequate control by maritime administration,” he says.

This issue has grown considerably since the pandemic, which accelerated the shift to digital recruitment, says Mahesh. “With more processes now taking place online, it has become easier for rogue agencies to exploit jobseekers, often using sophisticated tools like AI and editing software to create convincing but fraudulent job offers. These scams are especially common in regions with weaker regulatory oversight. Companies like Columbia are actively working with maritime authorities, training institutions and local partners to raise awareness, educate seafarers and uphold ethical crewing standards across the globe.”

A seafarer interacting with a potential rogue agent could be at risk of paying money upfront for a job that doesn’t exist, or the job application is not processed in the right way and never received by the employer, says Mazen Barhoun, Columbia’s crew manager, manning and recruitment.

“In some cases, agents will contact crew members requesting a significant amount of money in exchange for finding them a job and even with the promise of falsifying documents or data to match a job opening. Columbia has a zero-fee recruitment policy and strictly follows ethical hiring practices across its global network. We also encourage candidates to verify job offers and communicate directly with our crewing offices when in doubt.”

Warning signs

It is important that seafarers remain vigilant against these scams and educate themselves on what to look out for, says Barhoun. “Employers and management companies need to be aware and ensure awareness is promoted but often they have very little to do with the scammers, so a lot of the responsibility lies with the seafarers to recognise when they are being targeted.”

Signs seafarers should look out for include: a lack of published policies on recruitment and agency processes; a lack of statements and commitment regarding anti-bribery and ‘no fees/charges’ applicable to jobseekers in any format or for any reason; missing details on agency status and certification for local and international regulations compliance; undefined requirements or criteria set for job matching; and a lack of transparency on employment details, including benefits.

Seafarers should do research into the agency, says Barhoun, and ask for certification. They should not agree to pay without confirmation in writing if related to crew expenses, such as STCW or passports, and should also cross-check the reason for this with crewmates or with the employer company. “When requested to pay certain amounts, request a written explanation from the principal/employer.”

Seafarers should also verify an employment offer to ensure it is legitimate – they can search the vessel details online and ensure it matches with the ship manager declared. Finally: “Ask for your rights and obligations in line with the job terms. For example, what costs is the employer liable for and what falls on the seafarer?”

InterManager’s secretary general, Capt Kuba Szymanski, is more optimistic than some. He believes the number of rogue crewing agents is very small, “but nevertheless extremely painful for seafarers who fell for it”. “I am aware of this happening in India and Ukraine. We see India being worse, especially with young cadets who do not know the industry and accept ‘assistance’ from agencies which pretend to be genuine.”

He lists the risks as: “Not being insured, being sent to a ship where the owner is likely to abandon the ship when there is any problem, ending up unpaid, working on a substandard ship with poor food and appalling H&S conditions, and being sent to high-risk areas.”

Seafarers must look out for the telltale signs, says Szymanski: lack of contract, being asked to pay any money towards visa, travel or PPE, unusually high salary (too good to be true), and unusually good contract conditions such as two weeks on/two weeks off, and being paid when at home.

Nevertheless, he does not think the problem is growing. “MLC is really making its mark on this issue,” he says. Capt Jensen at Danica disagrees. “There are regulatory defences in place to protect the seafarers, like the Maritime Labour Convention. The question is whether it is properly enforced by the authorities. The Convention has been in force for ten years now, and apparently it has not stopped the problem.”

To be fair, seafarers can at least refer to the MLC to know their rights, as pointed out by Capt Saurabh Mahesh at Columbia. “Nowadays, even in the most isolated places or non-maritime communities they can find details online using official websites, such as the IMO or ITF. Seafarers can also arm themselves with knowledge and check websites for maritime conferences, articles and newsletters, attend online seminars, and be educated on their rights and current MLC guidelines,” he says.

Slave labour

Jones emphasises that the issues are no different to slave labour elsewhere and should be treated as such. He would like to see more proactive work by non-maritime NGOs and agencies in the hotspots to nip things in the bud.

“The activities of rogue agents are part of a much bigger systematic abuse of human rights. Criminal gangs spot this kind of opportunity – domestic work, farming, shipping – pay me $10,000 and I will build the life you want. It just so happens that at the point when someone steps on the gangway, it becomes a shipping industry issue.”

The point at which someone has packed a bag is far too late to act, he warns. “We need outreach in the areas where we know seafarers are being pulled in. We need a UN special rapporteur for maritime/shipping. Then, from the highest echelons of the UN, these issues can be identified, discussed and understood, and the rest of the UN system can be triggered into a response. The wider network of NGOs and charities globally could be brought into that as a response and ultimately to drive a solution.”