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Job offer asking for money for training, a medical check-up, a uniform or an ID card?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated

A job offer asking you to pay for training, a medical, a uniform or an ID card is a sign of a fake vacancy, says Indonesia's manpower ministry. What to do.

High severity Usually arrives via: WhatsApp, e-mail, job boards, Facebook, Instagram

Summary

  • Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) lists requests for money for administration, training or uniforms as a sign of a fake vacancy.
  • According to Kemnaker, a fee in the recruitment process is almost certainly a scam.
  • Government placement services may not charge placement fees (UU 13/2003 Article 38(1)).
  • For work abroad, Indonesian migrant workers cannot be charged placement costs (UU 18/2017 Article 30(1)).
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On this page
  1. How does the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam work?
  2. What are the warning signs of the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam?
  3. How is the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam different from a real vacancy?
  4. I have already been caught. What should I do now?
  5. What does a fee-scam message look like?
  6. Are all recruitment fees illegal in Indonesia?
  7. What about umrah travel agent jobs that ask for a deposit?
  8. How can you check that a vacancy is real before paying anything?

How does the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam work?

The fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam usually runs in 5 steps. Any step that asks for money, personal data or a move to a chat app is the point to stop.

  1. Step 1 of 5: The scammer posts an easy-looking vacancy or messages you that you passed selection, often using a big company's name.
  2. Step 2 of 5: You are invited to a quick test or interview, sometimes by chat only, and are told you are hired almost at once.
  3. Step 3 of 5: Before you start, you are asked to pay for training, a medical check-up, a uniform, an ID card or 'administration'.
  4. Step 4 of 5: Payment is pushed with a deadline, and the money must go to an account the recruiter gives you.
  5. Step 5 of 5: Once the money arrives, the recruiter asks for more or becomes unreachable, and the job never existed.

What are the warning signs of the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam?

The fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam has the 7 main warning signs below, each with its source. One sign is enough reason to stop and check again before you pay or send any data.

  • You are asked for money for administration, training or a uniform before you start work.Republika (official statement via media)
  • The recruiter pushes you to pay quickly and sets a deadline so you have no time to check.Kompas TV (official statement via media)
  • The recruiter claims to be a big company or official body, but the vacancy is not on their official channels.Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (Sekretariat Satgas PASTI)
  • You are told to transfer money to an account the recruiter provides, and then the recruiter disappears.Metro TV (official statement via media)
  • You are asked for your KTP, bank account number or a selfie with your ID for 'verification'.Kompas TV (official statement via media)
  • You are asked to pay for a medical check-up, psychological test or training at a provider the recruiter chooses, before the interview.Koran Jakarta (official statement via media)
  • The recruiter wants your diploma, vehicle ownership book (BPKB) or other original documents as a guarantee before you can work.Dinas Tenaga Kerja Kota Batam (meneruskan SE Menteri Ketenagakerjaan RI)

How is the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam different from a real vacancy?

The table compares each step of the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam with how legitimate employers recruit, row by row.

Scam tactics compared with legitimate recruitment practice
Scam tacticLegitimate practice
Training, uniform, medical or ID card fees are charged to applicants before work starts.No fees are charged to applicants; the employer arranges work equipment.
Payment to an account sent by chat, with a same-day deadline.No payment; schedules and details can be checked through the company's official contacts.
You 'pass' in minutes with no clear test.Clear selection stages, communicated by company-domain e-mail or other official channels.
An overseas recruiter asks for money outside the placement agreement.The employer bears placement costs; the worker may be charged only costs written and itemised in the Perjanjian Penempatan.

I have already been caught. What should I do now?

If you have followed the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam, stop all contact, send no more money or data, keep every piece of evidence, then report to the official channels below.

  1. Stop paying and do not send any more money, whatever the reason given.
  2. Keep evidence: screenshots of the ad and chats, the receiving account number and your transfer receipts.
  3. Call your bank on the official number on your card or app, then report to IASC at iasc.ojk.go.id.
  4. Make a police report (Laporan Polisi) at the SPKT desk of the nearest police station; an IASC report does not replace it.

Where should I report?

  • Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC)

    Report fraud after money was transferred, so the scammer's account can be blocked

    157WhatsApp 081157157157 iasc.ojk.go.id

  • Police call centre 110

    Emergencies and crime reports; formal reports are made at the SPKT of the nearest Polres or Polsek

    110 polri.go.id

  • Kemnaker help centre and call centre

    Complaints about wages, THR, contracts and fake vacancies

    1500630 bantuan.kemnaker.go.id

Check a similar message with the job checker

What does a fee-scam message look like?

The example below is an illustration written by the KarirAman editors from the patterns described by Kemnaker and OJK. It is not a copy of a real message. Names, numbers and accounts are hidden.

Congratulations, you passed the selection for warehouse staff at [name removed]. To join training and collect your uniform, transfer the fee to account [account number removed] by tonight. Confirm at 08xx-xxxx-xxxx.

This message carries three signs at once: money before work starts, a deadline, and payment to an account sent by chat. You can paste a similar text into the job checker to see each warning sign.

Are all recruitment fees illegal in Indonesia?

UU 13/2003 on Manpower, Article 38(1), bars government placement services from charging placement fees, directly or indirectly. A licensed private placement agency may charge only the employer and workers in certain grades and positions set by the Minister (Article 38(2) and (3)). For a vacancy posted directly by a company, Kemnaker says a fee is almost certainly a scam.

For work abroad, the rules apply in this order:

  1. UU 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) cannot be charged placement costs.
  2. Permen P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs, and the worker may be charged only costs written and itemised in the Perjanjian Penempatan (placement agreement).
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

What about umrah travel agent jobs that ask for a deposit?

Only a travel company licensed as an umrah organiser (PPIU) may run umrah trips, and UU 8/2019 Article 115 bars anyone from acting as a PPIU without the right to do so. The haj and umrah ministry asks the public to check a PPIU's licence on its SATU HAJI system. If an "agent job" requires a deposit, a payment or a pilgrim target before you start, that is an upfront payment, which Kemnaker lists as a sign of a fake vacancy.

How can you check that a vacancy is real before paying anything?

Look up the company's official website and accounts yourself, then ask whether the vacancy and the fee are real. Never use the number in the ad or message. The full steps, including the AHU company register and the SISKOP2MI agency list, are in How to verify an employer. If you already sent money, follow the steps for people who sent money to a job scammer.

Which careers are used as bait for the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam?

Vacancies for these careers are often used as bait for the fees for training, medical checks, uniforms or ID cards scam, highest scam risk first.

KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money.

For job seekers and employers. We run no ads, sell no data and never ask for any fee. Anyone asking for money in KarirAman's name is a scammer. Our no-fee policy

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer make me pay for a medical check-up?

Do not pay first. In August 2026 the East Jakarta labour office named requests to pay for a medical check-up, a psychological test or training at a provider the recruiter chooses, before the interview, as a common fake-job pattern. Kemnaker also says a fee in recruitment is almost certainly a scam. Ask in writing who pays, then check through the company's official contacts.

Is it legal to charge job applicants a fee in Indonesia?

Generally not. Manpower Regulation 18/2024 bars private placement agencies, job portals, school job centres (BKK) and job fair organisers from charging job seekers placement fees, except for certain regulated positions. UU 13/2003 Article 38 also bars government placement services from charging them. For a vacancy posted directly by a company, treat any request for money as a red flag.

I already paid for a uniform. Can I get the money back?

There is no guarantee. Indonesia's Anti-Scam Centre (IASC) explains that the chance of saving funds depends on how fast the victim reports, because scammers move money within minutes. Report to IASC and the police straight away, then follow the steps on the Already Paid page.

Is it normal to pay for a uniform or ID card before starting work?

No. Kemnaker lists requests for money for administration, training or a uniform before you start as signs of a fake vacancy. An employer that is really hiring provides work equipment itself. If the recruiter also wants your diploma, vehicle ownership book (BPKB) or other original documents as a guarantee, Manpower Circular M/5/HK.04.00/V/2025 says employers may not require or hold them.

What about medical check-up costs for working abroad?

For Indonesian migrant workers, medical and psychological checks are placement cost components that Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025 puts on the employer, unless a lawful exception is written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. UU 18/2017 Article 30(1) says migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Any request for money outside that document is a red flag.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Ini 5 ciri-ciri lowongan kerja palsu versi Kemnaker Republika · official statement via media · accessed
  2. 6 Ciri Lowongan Kerja Bodong yang Perlu Diwaspadai Kompas TV · official statement via media · accessed
  3. Waspada, Penipuan (Scam) Mengintai Kita. Ayo Lawan dan Hindari! (Booklet Satgas PASTI) Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (Sekretariat Satgas PASTI) · accessed
  4. Undang-Undang Nomor 13 Tahun 2003 tentang Ketenagakerjaan JDIH BPK · UU 13/2003 Pasal 37 dan 38 · accessed
  5. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  6. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
  7. Penipu Lowongan Kerja di Cikarang Raup Puluhan Juta dari Korban Metro TV · official statement via media · accessed
  8. Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC): Tentang, Langkah Pelaporan dan FAQ Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (IASC) · accessed
  9. Sentra Pelayanan Kepolisian Terpadu (SPKT) Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia · accessed
  10. Pemkot Jaktim Minta Pelamar Waspadai Modus Kerja Palsu (Koran Jakarta) Koran Jakarta · official statement via media · accessed
  11. Peraturan Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Nomor 18 Tahun 2024 tentang Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Dalam Negeri JDIH BPK RI · Permenaker 18/2024 · accessed
  12. Surat Edaran Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Nomor M/5/HK.04.00/V/2025 tentang Larangan Penahanan Ijazah dan/atau Dokumen Pribadi Milik Pekerja/Buruh oleh Pemberi Kerja (salinan dari Disnaker Kota Batam) Dinas Tenaga Kerja Kota Batam (meneruskan SE Menteri Ketenagakerjaan RI) · SE Menaker M/5/HK.04.00/V/2025 · accessed
  13. Undang-Undang Nomor 8 Tahun 2019 tentang Penyelenggaraan Ibadah Haji dan Umrah Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 8/2019 · accessed
  14. Kemenhaj Bagikan Tips Praktis Agar Jemaah Terhindar dari Penipuan Travel Umrah (Siaran Pers) Kementerian Haji dan Umrah RI (Biro Humas) · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Job offer asking for money for training, a medical check-up, a uniform or an ID card?. Updated 8 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/job-scams/job-offers-that-ask-for-fees/

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CariTalent and PanduanHewan are Kode Nirlaba projects; Panduan Warga and The Cast Index are independent publications with the same founder. CourseToJob is a study-guide site with the same owner, run by Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd.

Change log
  • : Added medical check-up and psychological test fees, uniform and ID card fees, original documents as a guarantee, medical costs for work abroad, and umrah agent jobs that ask for deposits.