AN approved Ocho Rios recruiter is at the centre of fresh H-2B fraud allegations after the Ministry of Labour and Social Security reported 21 complaints about the company, most concerning refunds, and said it had referred matters involving possible criminal conduct to the police.

The complaints come amid allegations that applicants paid as much as US$2,200 for H-2B work placements that were not available. In a TikTok live episode on Saturday, a relative of the operator said he told applicants he had places on the programme when he did not.

“[He] told them what they want to hear in sweet talk and they believe,” she said.

She recalled warning one applicant who thought she had secured summer work, “Miss, it’s August now, summer’s done.”

She said she eventually stopped intervening after realising that applicants continued to trust the man’s promises. Her attempts to warn clients indirectly also backfired, she said, when they passed her comments on to him, deepening the rift between her and her family.

One woman on the live said she had paid US$2,200 at the office and was still seeking a refund. She said the office had closed, the telephone numbers were no longer working, and she had been told the operator was off the island.

The relative, while acknowledging that she collected money at the office, denied that she had stolen it.

“No money don’t stay in the office. So even if I collect the money, that don’t mean is me have it — because if that was the case then I wouldn’t have been driving a Probox or take out a loan to operate my business,” she said, noting that she left her family’s place of business shortly after learning about what was taking place within the company.

On Tuesday, the ministry told the Jamaica Observer that it had received the 21 complaints about the company as at September 28, primarily over refunds. It said it has engaged affected people, assessed documents, and sought resolutions where appropriate, but did not disclose the sums involved or how many applicants had received refunds.

“The complaints primarily concern issues of refund. The ministry has engaged affected persons, requested/ assessed relevant documentation, sought resolution where appropriate, and referred matters involving possible criminal conduct to the police. Where matters have proceeded to court, the ministry will not comment further while those proceedings are ongoing,” it said.

The travel recruiter appeared in the ministry’s January 2026 list of approved overseas job placement agencies as an H-2B recruiter operated from an address in Ocho Rios. The ministry told the Jamaica Observer that the agency was first licensed in November 2024 and renewed same in November 2025.

The complainants raised questions about what the ministry checks before approving an agency, and whether it verifies that jobs remain available as recruitment continues. Under the ministry’s published licensing requirements, agencies recruiting for US jobs must submit an employer petition, information on the overseas partner, and contracts showing available positions. Applicants are also interviewed and their offices inspected.

In its response to the Business Observer, the ministry did not say whether it rechecks job availability when renewing a licence or during ongoing monitoring. It, however, said it has no agreements with overseas employers, and that agencies are responsible for maintaining those arrangements.

“The ministry’s regulatory role in relation to private employment agencies is separate and distinct from the contractual relationship between a licensed employment agency and an overseas employer or programme sponsor. The ministry monitors and regulates private employment agencies that recruit and place persons in employment, locally and/or overseas,” it said.

“It is the responsibility of the employment agency to establish and maintain the relevant arrangements with overseas employers and to ensure that all recruitment activity undertaken by the agency comply with the applicable Jamaican regulatory framework,” it added.

Further, the ministry outlined fees for the J-1 Work and Travel programme, including a $45,000 placement fee, and said charges of more US$2000 or $318,000 in local currency aren’t unusual. However, it noted that under the Employment Regulations Agencies Act, applicants may receive a refund, if applicable, of 75 per cent of the placement fee paid to be placed in employment outside Jamaica.

“Applicants of the J1 Work and Travel Programme may sometimes be requested to pay varying fees by the overseas employers and/or sponsors that may exceed US$2,000. This does not include the overseas sponsors’ fees, which are varied and not regulated by the ministry,” it said.

The case is unfolding against a wider pattern of warnings and alleged overseas work scams. Last October, Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr warned that people were using social media to impersonate the ministry, and with even his image being used to make recruitment pitches. He said people were being given the impression that the ministry was recruiting through TikTok and Instagram, and cautioned that desperation for overseas work could make applicants vulnerable to manipulation.

A separate St Ann case surfaced this week when a businesswoman was charged in connection with allegations that people paid for US work and travel opportunities and visa appointment fees in 2023 and 2024 but did not receive the promised services or refunds.

Meanwhile, the ministry is urging anyone who believes they were misled or improperly charged to report the matter to its Employment Agencies Unit and provide supporting records, including receipts, contracts, correspondence and advertisements. Reports can be sent to employmentagencyunitja@ mlss.gov.jm; suspected criminal conduct should also be reported to the police.

Further, the ministry said it was strengthening public education, routine inspections, complaint investigations, and collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, alongside targeted public warnings. It urged applicants to verify both an agency’s status and the legitimacy of the opportunity before paying or sharing personal information.