SINGAPORE - A 60-year-old woman was charged on Tuesday (April 11) with running an employment agency (EA) without a valid licence for over a year.

Noor Hayah Gulam, who is Singaporean, is believed to have posted job advertisements in the web portal for job seekers, placed foreign domestic workers with employers, and collected bio-data and resumes.

She also conducted interviews and sourced for potential employers, collecting agency fees for her services, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a statement on Tuesday.

MOM, which acted on a complaint to investigate her case, added that she performed such work between November 2014 and March 2016.

If found guilty, she may be fined up to $80,000 and jailed up to two years.

In its statement, MOM encouraged employers to use the EA directory on its website (www.mom.gov.sg/eadirectory) to verify if an agency is licensed.

This directory also provides information such as an agency's retention and transfer rate, "which reflect its ability to match FDWs and employers' requirements", as well as its placement volume of foreign domestic workers, years of experience in the industry, and previously committed violations and rating based on customer feedback.

MOM urged members of the public who have any information on unlicensed EA activities to report the matter at mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg or call 6438-5122. All information will be kept confidential.