The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has issued a warning to job seekers about fraudulent phone calls requesting additional payments for employment in Israel.

Gamini Senarath Yapa, Additional General Manager of International Affairs at the SLBFE, clarified that individuals who have already settled their payments are not required to make any further payments.

The bureau received multiple complaints on October 21 regarding a caller demanding Rs. 14,700, falsely claiming to be an SLBFE official. Mr. Yapa said that all candidates preparing for jobs in Israel’s agricultural sector have already completed their payment obligations.

“Someone has fraudulently sent a message asking them to repay an amount of Rs. 14,700,” he said. “The bureau has not released such information. About 123 individuals are set to leave for these jobs, and the caller even mentioned depositing money into a bank account, which the Bureau does not engage in.”

Job seekers encountering such situations are urged to contact the SLBFE hotline at 1989 for assistance.