The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) warns seafarers about fake UK shipping companies. These firms offer jobs that do not exist. They then ask you to pay for a visa or other fees.
The warnings are on the ITF ShipBeSure scam alerts page. ShipBeSure is the ITF tool that helps seafarers check job offers and crewing agencies. ITF says job scams are rising. Scammers use email, WhatsApp, Viber and LinkedIn.
Names on the current ITF list
As of early November 2026, ShipBeSure lists several fake companies that use UK-looking names. Treat any contact from these names as a scam:
Starling Shipping UK Ltd, with the website starlingshippinguk.co.uk and emails such as hr@starlingshippinguk.co.uk.
Marlin Shipping Company UK, with emails such as hr@msclimiteduk.org.
Medro Shipping Company UK / Medro Shipping Company UK Ltd, with emails such as hr@medroshippingcouk.com.
Fake visa sites linked to these names, including ukvimmigration.com, ukimmigrationcouk.com and visaembassyltduk.org.
ITF says these sites offer non-existent jobs. They also push fake visas. A real UK visa process never starts through a private "shipping company" email that asks you to pay first.
How these scams usually work
You get a job offer by email, WhatsApp or LinkedIn. The message looks professional and may use a real company's name.
The "agency" asks you to pay for a visa, medical, certificate, processing fee or placement fee.
They send a link to a website that looks like a shipping company or a government visa office.
After you pay, the job disappears. Or they ask for more money.
India's DGMA has also warned about fake maritime job offers. Read India's campaign to check the crewing agency's licence.
What to do before you answer a job offer
Never pay for a job, a visa or a placement fee to get a ship job. Legitimate employers and licensed agencies do not charge seafarers for the job itself.
Check that the crewing agency is licensed. Our guide to checking a crewing agency licence in the Philippines or India shows the official steps.
Open the company's real website yourself. Do not trust a link in the message. Compare the email domain with the real company domain.
Check the ITF ShipBeSure scam alerts page before you send money or personal documents.
If you are unsure, email jobscam@itf.org.uk. ITF says it keeps reports confidential.
For more help lines, see Crewboard useful links.
Cover photo: Visa and consular stamps inside a British passport issued in Cairo in 1955. Illustrative photo about travel documents, not a document from these scams. Photo: Huddyhuddy/Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Sources: ITF ShipBeSure: Scam alerts (Starling Shipping, Marlin Shipping, Medro Shipping, fake UK visa sites).
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