This article provides a comprehensive overview of the legal framework governing employment-related scams in Nepal. It covers common scams typologies (domestic and online), relevant Acts and statutory sections, investigative and judicial challenges, reporting pathways, and penalties. It’s designed for job seekers, employers, legal professionals, and policymakers seeking a clear, actionable understanding of Nepal’s viewpoint on employment fraud.
Basically, the laws mentioned below govern the employment scams and frauds in Nepal;
a. National Penal Code, 2074
b. Electronic Transactions Act, 2063
c. The Labor Act, 2074
d. Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064
Authorities:
a. Labor Department
b. Nepal
c. Cyber Bureau
Domestic employment scams are conducted within the jurisdiction of Nepal. The offenses are listed below;
4.1 Nature of Employment Scam Offenses in Nepal:
| S.N | Activities | How they carry out activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remote job fraud | Charging workers for materials for packing, typing or assembling goods but giving no real work or pay. |
| 2 | Domestic worker abuse | Promising fair wages but paying low to workers, in some conditions leave not granted. |
| 3 | Fake Consultancy Firms | Small offices claim to "guarantee" jobs in return for documentation and fees. |
| 4 | Fraudulent internship schemes | Charging for certificates or membership fees without offering real experience in work. |
| 5 | Underpaid job placements | Promising high salaries but placing workers in poor, unsafe or underpaid jobs. |
| 6 | Fake job agencies | Unauthorized agents charging registration or placement fees for non-existent jobs. |
| 7 | Advance Fee Fraud | Asking money for interviews, training, uniforms or medical tests without providing real jobs. |
| 8 | Misleading job Ads | Using the names of reputed companies to publish false job offers. |
| 9 | Identity Theft Scams | Scammers ask for citizenship copies, academic certificates, bank details and photos which are later used for fraud, loans or other illegal activities. |
4.2 Online Employment Scams in Nepal:
Categories of jobs and occurrence methods:
| S.N | Activities | How they carry out activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fraudulent Online Job Listing | Scammers lure job seekers with fake high-paying, easy jobs. |
| 2 | Fake Online Job Portals | Unregistered websites collect registration fees and personal data from applicants. |
| 3 | Employment Alerts on Messaging Apps | Spam messages offering "instant employment" and demanding fees or sensitive data. |
| 4 | Fake Professional Networking Job Offers | Posing as job offers but actually forcing people to buy products or recruit others. |
| 5 | Work From Home Scams | Ads offering earnings from home but demanding advance payments. |
| 6 | Phishing Job Links | Accessing fake job links that trick users into revealing sensitive data. |
| 7 | Profile Fraud | Fraudsters impersonate company recruiters using fake accounts to deceive job seekers. |
| 8 | Social Media Agent Scams | Individuals claiming to be middlemen for domestic companies demand advance payments. |
Employment related scams are addressed under several laws in Nepal, some of them are as below;
| Acts | Sec | Offenses |
|---|---|---|
| As per National Penal Code, 2074 | 249 | Deceiving someone for personal gain or causing loss. |
| 276 | Forging or using fake documents to deceive (applicable in fake job offers). | |
| 277 | Submission or presenting fake documents as real. | |
| As per Electronic Transactions Act, 2064 | 45 | Unauthorized access to a job seeker's digital or financial information. |
| 46 | Tampering with or modifying digital job-related data or websites. | |
| 47 | Posting fake job ads or misleading online content. | |
| 48 | Misusing or disclosing job seekers' personal or financial information under false job processing claims. | |
| 52 | Fraudulently using digital signature or electronic payment systems for personal gain. Illegally collecting online payments and misusing digital platforms. |
|
| As per Labor Act, 2074 | 163(1)(a) | Operating a labor supply business without license. |
| 163(1)(b) | Employing a foreigner without a labor permit. | |
| 163(2)(b) | Hindering labor officials or submitting false information. | |
| 163(2)(c) | Engaging trainees contrary to law (fake internships, unpaid wages). | |
| As per Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064 | 4 | The person is taken abroad by luring and deceiving (like a fake job promise) and then used or sold for exploitative work, or prostitution. |
Basically, there are 3 ways for reporting Employment related Scams within Nepal.
a. To the Department of Labor (deals with the employment fraud)
b. To the Nepal Police (deals with criminal offenses; deception, exploitation)
c. Through the Cyber Bureau (investigates online fraud).
6.1 Initial Complaint Registration in the Department of Labor
6.2 Labor Court Process for Employment related Fraud within Nepal (Case Proceeding)
A. Complaint Registration through other Authorities
i. Through Cyber Bureau
If the broker used social media or online platform for the commission of scam, like; digital payment fraud, fake online job offers, or online investment scam, then, the complaint is too be done in the Cyber Bureau.
Procedure for complaint Registration in Cyber Bureau
ii. Through Police Station;
If the scammer takes the money by false promise of job offers, charging money for a job that does not exist, then the complaint is to be filed in the nearest Police Station for the reimbursement of money from the scammer.
Procedure for complaint Registration in Nepal Police
The complaint procedure in Police Station is as same as that of complain filing through Cyber Bureau. Only the difference is the victim must visit the Police Station instead of Cyber Bureau for lodging complaint against the scammer.
In regard to the growing domestic employment scams, there has been the relevant punishment allotted to different employment scams and frauds. Punishment allotted as per relevant acts and legal provisions are;
7.1 Punishment as per the National Penal Code, 2074
| SEC | ACTIVITIES | Imprisonment | Fines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 249 | Deceiving someone for personal gain or causing loss. | Not exceeding 7 years | Not exceeding Rs.70,000 |
| 276 | Forging or using fake documents to deceive (applicable in fake job offers) | Not exceeding 5 years | Not exceeding Rs.50,000 |
| 277 | Using or presenting fake documents as real. | Not exceeding 3 years | Not exceeding Rs.30,000 |
7.2. Punishment as per the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063
| SEC | ACTIVITIES | IMPRISONMENT | FINES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Unauthorized access to a job seeker's digital or financial information. | Not exceeding 3 years | Not exceeding Rs.2,00,000 Or both, depending on the offense |
| 46 | Tampering with or modifying digital job-related data or websites. | Not exceeding 3 years | Not exceeding Rs.2,000 Or both, depending on the offense |
| 47 | Posting fake job ads or misleading online content. | Not exceeding 5 years | Not exceeding Rs.1,00,000 Or both depending on the offense Punishment increases by 1 and a half times each time; For repeated offense |
| 48 | Misusing or disclosing job seekers' personal or financial information under false job processing claims. | Not exceeding 2 years | Not exceeding Rs.10,000 Or both depending on the offense |
| 52 | Fraudulently using digital signature or electronic payment systems for personal gain. Illegally collecting online payments and misusing digital platforms. | Not exceeding 2 years | Not exceeding Rs.1,00,000 Or both depending on the offense |
7.3. Punishment as per the Labor Act, 2074
| SEC | ACTIVITIES | IMPRISONMENT | FINES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 163(1)(a) | Operating a labor supply business without license | - | Up-to Rs.2,00,000 To both the unlicensed labor supplier and the person hiring through such supplier |
| 163(1)(b) | Employing a foreigner without a labor permit | - | Up-to Rs.2,00,000 An additional fine of Rs.5,000 per person per month; for repeated offense |
| 163(2)(b) | Hindering labor officials / submitting false information | - | Up-to Rs.20,000 |
| 163(2)(c) | Engaging trainees contrary to law (fake internships, unpaid wages) | - | Up-to Rs.10,000 Order for regular employment, and payment of due remuneration and benefits |
Investigation procedure and Justice System for domestic employment fraud done within Nepal face significant hurdles. Some of the investigative as well as justice system challenges are discussed below;
A. Some key Investigative Challenges in regard to employment fraud within Nepal are outlined as follows;
B. Some key challenges in Justice System in regard to employment fraud within Nepal are outlined as follows;
Employment scams are a major problem in Nepal which leads to financial losses and worker exploitation in a greater number. Initially, all the job seekers should remain cautious, verify job offers carefully, and report any fraudulent activities to the concerned authorities.
The statutory framework for combating foreign employment fraud is robustly punitive, but the effective delivery of justice and compensation is consistently impaired by procedural and structural failures.
Foreign employment scams are widespread and increasing mainly targets job seekers a simple job with high pay offers. In reality, victims often face heavy financial losses, debt, the scammer steal their personal information through different online platforms for their benefits. To sum up the scammers in the first instance make the innocent people believe in their talks of good job but they make them work in very low paying jobs and in the worst situation exploit those innocent people in forced labor.
This article serves legal analysis. Individual affected by foreign employment fraud in Nepal should seek immediate consultation with a law firm specializing in Nepali labor and cybercrime law to formulate consultation with a Lawin and Partners, Law firm's expert criminal Lawyers specialized in Criminal cases.
Lawin and Partners expert Criminal Lawyers in Nepal assist both victim and offender to this kind of cases with strategic litigation, enforce execution, corporate accountability.
Our Criminal Lawyers both represent victim and offender in this nature of crime. Also if client wants to reconcile the case by funding the disputed amount of payment to victim. For victims seeking redress or entities requiring compliance advice on Foreign Employment Law, expert legal counsel is critical to successfully navigate Nepal’s challenging judicial landscape.
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This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute complete legal advice. This nature of crimes and cases in Nepal may vary based on individual circumstances, factual situations, and updates to the Criminal Code or related laws and regulations. Readers should not rely solely on this content to make legal decisions. For accurate guidance tailored to your specific case, please consult our Criminal Lawyer or legal professional in Nepal.
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