Lowongan kerja Australia or penipuan? How Indonesian workers can check an offer before paying

Tips · 2026-10-08 · 9 min read

An Indonesian man compares a job offer letter with his phone at home, with a closed passport on the table.

A real job offer from Australia does not ask you to pay a placement fee, give away your passport or travel on a tourist visa. Before you pay anything, do two checks: make sure the Indonesian company recruiting you is a licensed P3MI on KP2MI's Cek Legalitas page, and compare every visa promise with the warnings of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. If a lowongan kerja Australia fails either check, treat it as a possible penipuan (scam) and stop.

Why fake job offers reach so many Indonesian workers

Scammers know that many people dream of kerja di Australia. They use that hope. KP2MI's Migran Aman site warns that fraud is often dressed up as an offer that is too tempting to refuse.

The danger is bigger than losing money. KP2MI lists the risks of illegal placement as human trafficking, financial loss, violence, labour exploitation and no legal protection. Once you leave Indonesia outside the legal procedure, it is much harder for anyone to help you.

Indonesia has a special word for this: nonprosedural, meaning placement outside the legal procedure. KP2MI's own history page names the fight against syndicates that send workers abroad this way as a main protection theme. In other words, the government sees it as a serious and organised problem, not a rare one.

Scam signs from the Australian Embassy and KP2MI

The two governments look at the problem from different sides. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta focuses on visa tricks. KP2MI focuses on recruiters and the placement process in Indonesia. Put together, they give you a clear checklist.

Warning sign	Who warns about it	What you should do
Someone promises your visa will be approved, or wants a large payment upfront to "fast-track" it	Australian Embassy in Jakarta	Walk away. Only the Department of Home Affairs grants Australian visas.
The first contact comes through social media or WhatsApp	Australian Embassy in Jakarta	Ask for the company's full name and check it on Cek Legalitas.
A job is promised to you as soon as you arrive	Australian Embassy in Jakarta	Ask for the employer, the visa type and a written contract, then verify them.
They ask you to hand over your passport	Australian Embassy in Jakarta	Keep your passport. Give copies only after the checks.
The price is higher than the Home Affairs fee, or they refuse to show your application in ImmiAccount	Australian Embassy in Jakarta	Ask to see the application in ImmiAccount. No answer means no deal.
You are told to work on a visitor or transit visa, or to travel through another Southeast Asian country or by boat	Australian Embassy in Jakarta	Refuse. Working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal.
The offer sounds too good, and they want original documents or money before you can check them	KP2MI (Migran Aman)	Check that the company and the vacancy are registered first.
You are asked to pay placement costs	Law No. 18 of 2017	Say no. Migrant workers cannot be charged placement costs.

You can read the full list on the Embassy's visa scams page. One sign alone is enough to slow down. Two or more signs together are a strong reason to stop talking to that person.

Who is allowed to recruit you for work abroad

Under Law No. 18 of 2017 (Article 49), only three kinds of organisation can place Indonesian migrant workers abroad: the government agency, a licensed placement company (P3MI), or a company placing workers for its own business.

A P3MI must hold a SIP3MI. This is the written licence the Minister gives to an Indonesian company so it can work as a placement company. No SIP3MI means no right to recruit you.

Article 69 of the same law goes further: individuals are prohibited from placing Indonesian migrant workers. So an agen or calo who works alone, collects money and "arranges everything" is not a legal recruiter, however friendly or well-known they seem in your village.

How to check a recruiter and a vacancy, step by step

These checks take little time and they protect your money, your documents and your safety. Do them before you sign or pay anything.

If the offer also comes with someone who wants to handle your Australian visa, check that person separately: see how to check that a migration agent is registered in Australia.

Write down the details. Get the company's full legal name, its district and the exact job title and city of the vacancy. A real recruiter will give these easily.
Use Cek Legalitas. Open KP2MI's Cek Legalitas page and check the P3MI's licence status and whether the vacancy is official.
Search the official P3MI list. SISKOP2MI publishes a list of P3MI placement companies, searchable by name and district. Also look at its list of P3MI under administrative sanctions.
Apply through the official system. On SISKOP2MI you register with population data based on your NIK, search vacancies and go through selection, complete the required documents, attend the pre-departure orientation (OPP) and receive your E-PMI.
Check the visa yourself. Ask to see the application in ImmiAccount. For visa advice, use only the Embassy, the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent listed on the OMARA website.
Keep your originals. Do not hand over original documents or pay anything until every step above checks out.

Money: what nobody should take from you

Law No. 18 of 2017 (Article 30) says Indonesian migrant workers cannot be charged placement costs. The law is strict about this. Under Articles 72 and 86, charging a prospective worker for cost parts that the employer already pays can lead to up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp15.000.000.000,00.

Want the full breakdown of the penalty and exactly which organisations are legally allowed to place you? Read our guide to what Indonesian law actually says about placement fees.

For the visa itself, the Australian Embassy is just as clear. A price above the Home Affairs fee is a warning sign, and so is a large upfront payment to speed things up. No middleman can buy you a faster or surer result, because the decision belongs to the Department of Home Affairs alone.

Real job ads follow the same rule. When you apply for roles such as a boilermaker and metal fabricator job in Perth or a CNC machinist job in Sydney, the visa is still decided by the department, not by anyone who asks you for cash.

Going straight to an employer without a P3MI

Some workers find an employer themselves. The law allows this. Article 63 lets an individual worker (PMI Perseorangan) work abroad for an employer that is a legal entity, without a placement agency.

There is a cost to this freedom. You carry the employment risks yourself, and you must report to the manpower office and to the Indonesian mission. If you go this way, learn how the visa works before you accept anything. Our guides to the Skills in Demand visa and New Zealand's Accredited Employer Work Visa explain the real steps in plain English.

Who to contact if something feels wrong

You do not need to be sure it is a scam before asking for help. A short call can save you a lot of money.

KP2MI call centre: 08001000 from within Indonesia, or +6221-29244800 from abroad.
KP2MI complaints by WhatsApp: 0811-8080-141.
BP3MI offices: KP2MI's regional service offices and P4MI posts across Indonesia, with addresses and phone numbers in the SISKOP2MI FAQ.
Australian visa questions: the Australian Embassy does not answer visa enquiries. It points people to the Home Affairs website or the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196.
Already in Australia: Indonesia's missions there are KBRI Canberra, KJRI Melbourne, KJRI Perth, KJRI Sydney and KRI Darwin.

Common mistakes Indonesian job seekers make

Trusting a calo because a neighbour did. Individuals cannot legally place migrant workers, even if someone you know went with them.
Paying a "processing" or placement fee. Placement costs cannot be charged to you. Calling the fee something else does not make it legal.
Giving away the passport. The Embassy lists a request for your passport as a scam sign. Keep it with you.
Checking the company but not the vacancy. Cek Legalitas can show whether the vacancy itself is official, not only the company.
Skipping the sanctions list. A licensed P3MI can still be under administrative sanctions. Look at both lists on SISKOP2MI.
Accepting a "start on a tourist visa" plan. Working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a lowongan kerja Australia is a penipuan?

Check the company on KP2MI's Cek Legalitas page and look for the Australian Embassy's warning signs. Contact only through WhatsApp or social media, a promised job on arrival, a request for your passport or money to "fast-track" a visa are all strong reasons to stop.

Is it legal for a recruiter to charge me a placement fee?

No. Law No. 18 of 2017 (Article 30) says Indonesian migrant workers cannot be charged placement costs. Charging a worker cost parts that the employer already pays can lead to up to 5 years in prison and a large fine.

Can a person, not a company, place me in a job in Australia?

No. Under Law No. 18 of 2017, placement abroad can only be done by the government agency, a licensed P3MI or a company placing workers for its own business. Article 69 prohibits individuals from placing Indonesian migrant workers, so a calo working alone is outside the law.

Can I work in Australia on a tourist or transit visa while I wait for a work visa?

No. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta warns that working on a visitor or transit visa is illegal. It also says that travel routes through another Southeast Asian country or by boat, suggested by agents, are scams.

Who do I call in Indonesia if I think an offer is fake?

Call the KP2MI call centre on 08001000 from inside Indonesia or +6221-29244800 from abroad, or send a complaint by WhatsApp to 0811-8080-141. You can also visit a BP3MI regional office; their addresses and phone numbers are listed in the SISKOP2MI FAQ.

Key takeaways

Only Home Affairs grants Australian visas. Nobody can sell you a faster or surer one.
Check every recruiter and vacancy on KP2MI's Cek Legalitas page before you pay or sign.
Placement costs cannot be charged to Indonesian migrant workers.
Keep your passport and original documents until the checks are done.
When in doubt, call KP2MI on 08001000 or send a WhatsApp to 0811-8080-141.

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