It happens every hiring season: a hopeful cadet wires a “processing fee” to a recruiter — who goes dark the moment the money clears, and the ship never comes.
Free Guide
Your First Voyage Starts Here. Skip the Scams. Get Hired.
A free, no-nonsense guide for new seafarers and cadets — built to help you find real openings, spot fake manning agents, and step aboard with confidence.
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Written by Capt. H.G., Master Mariner — who has spent his career at sea and has seen these scams firsthand.
What you’ll learn inside
- How legitimate hiring actually works — who really hires cadets, and how real offers arrive
- How to spot a fake manning agency — the red flags scammers don’t bother hiding
- How to verify an agency before you pay a fee or hand over your documents
- What to prepare before you apply, so you look ready the moment a real opening comes up