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Back in 2020, The PYA (Professional Yachting Association) reported that they had received a high number of reports from crew who had been approached by scammers offering false jobs onboard yachts. Sadly, it seems that this phenomenon shows no signs of stopping, with several crew members posting reports of yacht job scams across popular yachting groups in recent months. Read on to see PYA’s original article to try and understand what a scam looks like and how to report it if you do come into contact with scammers.
Over the last couple of months, the PYA’s Member Assistance Service (MAS) has received a number of reports from crew who have been approached by scammers offering false jobs onboard yachts. Along with these direct reports, there has also been a number of incidents reported via the Yacht Crew Facebook Groups.
The motive of these scams is not clear, however, the PYA would like to warn crew that these scams might put them at an increased risk of individuals wanting to commit crimes of human trafficking, identity fraud or sexual assault.
What has been reported?
Majority of the scams reported involve female yacht crew.
Report 1 – False job onboard
We previously released the following report which gave the details of a job scam where a female crew member was recruited for a Stewardess position and asked to board a private plane to join the yacht. In addition to this individual, we received another report where the same scammer tried to recruit a female Chef under the same circumstances.
Report 2 – Sexual assault during a video interview
We received reports that young inexperienced Stewardesses had fallen victim to a false yacht job scam. After applying to a Stewardess position in France advertised on social media, a number of girls were interviewed via a video call by an individual posing as the ‘Captain’ and asked to let their hair down and put on their bikinis during the interview.
One reported incident included ‘8 hours of interviewing in 3 sessions, being asked to mess up her hair for him and get undressed’.
Here is a visual of the original job post which appeared on social media:
Report 3 – Inappropriate photos requested for interview
Recently, it was reported via yachting social media groups that another young girl had applied for a job online and had been asked for photos of herself in her underwear by the interviewer:
“A young girl who applied for a position on social media was asked to send photos of herself in her underwear, as this is how the industry works, according to the company. Luckily she took some advice and was told absolutely NOT. If ever in doubt when applying for positions pls pls pls ask someone. Trust your gut, not all you see Is as it seems. There are some rotten apples out there.”
Here is the visual of the original job advert below:
Report a job scam
If you have been the victim of any yacht job scams and need advice or support, please report your incident to our team via info@pya.org and we can put you in touch with the best support services.
The main takeaway from PYA’s report is that if you are ever unsure about a job post, ask your community or reach out to PYA for advice on the legitimacy of the advert. If you are asked to remove clothing, send photos of yourself in minimal clothing or pay any type of ‘fee’ prior to joining a boat, the chances are it could be a scam. You should never be asked to pay for anything before joining a Vessel.
Whilst it is true that many yachting jobs come about through conversations across social media, if you are unsure of the credibility of a person, investigate it further. You should also refrain from formally accepting any position until you have seen an official legal contract. This document protects you incase of any wrongdoing and you should always read your full contract, making sure it all makes sense prior to signing.
If you are approached by scammers, it is important to report the individual that approached you to ensure this does not continue happening to other crew members.
To read more Superyacht Content Crew Mess articles click here.
The PYA is a non-profit association which was founded in 1991, and exists primarily to represent the interests of professional yacht crew around the world. Now with members from over 90 countries worldwide, the PYA is THE body for professional yacht crew.
Find out more about the PYA here.
