Alleged work and travel fraud deepens as more students come forward

By Nakinskie Robinson   

 

There's a new twist to the reported work and travel fraud involving First Rio.

 

Radio Jamaica News has uncovered that another group of six students is also entangled in the debacle, with only a minimal amount of money being returned so far.

 

While students still cling to the promise of recouping hundreds of thousands of dollars they paid to work in the US, another group of six has come forward lamenting that they also stand to lose significant sums.

 

One student, who requested not to be named, said each person paid a programme fee of US$550 plus an embassy fee of US$210 to work as camp counsellors from May to early September, a plan which did not materialise:  

 

"Before the end of July, I said to her, it is not fair for me to sit down with the pipe dream of going to the United States for the summer when I'm supposed to be also now looking forward to finding a ticket to come back, and it's not fair for you to think that I can go overseas and work enough money to come back and pay my school fees. And I'm telling you that I would like my refund. And she told us that she understood; she would have made the same decision."

 

The student said First Rio owner, Christelle Bernard, agreed to give the students a 100 per cent refund, and refund forms were then completed.

 

But the refunds did not materialise. 

 

Instead, she said the company insisted that the students roll over their existing payments to the following summer. 

 

"The programme manager is the one now that is now trying to convince us to stay with First Rio and push the money that she owes us into next year. And I let her know straightforward, I don't trust this company."

 

Still, she said the programme manager continued to push for the students to stay with the company, telling them not to worry because the firm would have sponsors coming into Jamaica and there would be a job fair at which the students would have the opportunity to see the sponsors themselves. 

 

"But I personally spoke with a sponsor last year and she told me that the money that we paid to Chrissy, Chrissy has not surrendered any money to them, and so they cannot really help us other than to tell us that we should report it to the police," alleged the student victim.

 

The student said she had requested a refund on several occasions between June and late July when she had grown suspicious following a series of embassy delays and lack of communication from the company.

 

She said the employment agency owner, Christelle Bernard, informed the group of challenges with its three J1 programmes.

 

The First Rio refund policy states that the programme fee is refundable less 25 per cent if an applicant is unsuccessful or they cancel voluntarily while the documents are being processed by First Rio, the visa sponsor and the US Department of State.

 

It said the refund will be disbursed within 60 days after a request is made.

 

Meanwhile, Radio Jamaica's investigations reveal that the company at the centre of the alleged fraud probe is reportedly working with another local agency.

 

This partnership comes with the promise that profits will be used to repay outstanding amounts to the almost 100 students awaiting refunds.

 

The disclosure was made during a recorded phone call in October. 

 

"I went ahead and I made an agreement with another agency so that we can start working. We started doing placement processes, the recruitment processes. And I think it was yesterday the first monies were collected. It is going slower than I want. But at least we're moving steps towards completing the refunds," Ms. Bernard siad during the call. 

 

Pressed by the student about the delay, the woman responded: "This is a business and if the business has some issues and the refund is not ready, my duty is to come on and to say the persons, it is not ready, please wait. Whether you go to police and think it will help, go to the Ministry of Labour, if it is not ready, there's nothing they can do," said the First Rio owner.

 

Since the first story was aired on January 8, Radio Jamaica News has again made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms. Bernard.

 

During a follow-up with both groups on Thursday night, one of the interviewees, Kerene Jones, confirmed that after she spoke with our news centre on January 2, she received a $52,000 payment from Ms. Bernard the following day.

 

But $247,000 is still outstanding.