A Ghanaian recruitment agent, Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, has been apprehended for allegedly defrauding multiple individuals by selling fake Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) for non-existent jobs in the United Kingdom. An undercover investigation by the BBC revealed that Agyemang-Prempeh charged unsuspecting job seekers thousands of pounds for fraudulent care worker positions in the UK.

The investigation found that Agyemang-Prempeh's victims reported losing tens of thousands of pounds, only to later discover that the CoS documents they received were mere replicas of legitimate certificates issued by authorized care companies. The agent's modus operandi was to target vulnerable job seekers, promising them legitimate employment opportunities in exchange for hefty fees.

As scrutiny on fraudulent practices within the UK's care sector increased, Agyemang-Prempeh shifted his focus to the construction industry, which also permits the recruitment of foreign workers. Undercover footage captured by the BBC showed Agyemang-Prempeh offering CoS for construction jobs through a company he had established, which had obtained a sponsorship licence from the UK Home Office.

In a conversation with a BBC journalist posing as a UK-based Ugandan businessman, Agyemang-Prempeh confirmed that he could recruit Ugandan construction workers for an exorbitant fee of £42,000 ($54,000) for three people. He also revealed that recruitment agents were diverting their focus to other industries, such as IT, following the UK government's tightening of regulations in the care sector.

The UK government has taken significant steps to combat visa fraud, revoking more than 470 sponsorship licences in the care sector between July 2022 and December 2024. This move impacted the recruitment of over 39,000 foreign medical professionals and care workers, many of whom were victims of fraudulent agents like Agyemang-Prempeh.

In response to the BBC's findings, the UK Home Office revoked Agyemang-Prempeh's sponsorship licence, effectively cutting off his ability to recruit foreign workers. The government also issued a statement, asserting that it had taken "robust new action against shameless employers who abuse the visa system" and would "ban businesses who flout UK employment laws from sponsoring overseas workers."

This is not the first time the BBC has exposed similar fraudulent visa schemes targeting job seekers from Ghana, Kerala (India), and international students in the UK seeking employment in the care sector. The UK government has introduced stricter regulations aimed at preventing rogue employers from exploiting the system, including a requirement for care providers in England to prioritize hiring international care workers already residing in the UK before recruiting from overseas.

The exposure of Agyemang-Prempeh's fraudulent activities highlights the challenges faced by job seekers and the need for stricter regulation to prevent exploitation. As the UK government continues to enforce stringent immigration measures, job seekers must remain vigilant against fraudulent recruitment agents offering deceptive opportunities.

The incident serves as a warning to job seekers to be cautious when dealing with recruitment agents and to thoroughly research the legitimacy of job opportunities before making any payments. It also underscores the importance of governments and regulatory bodies taking proactive steps to combat visa fraud and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.