Don’t fall for job scams on social media, BI warns public
MANILA, Philippines — Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco has sounded the alarm on trafficking syndicates that lure people through social media into illegally working for dubious companies abroad.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) chief reiterated his warning after immigration agents at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and Clark International Airport intercepted six people whom they suspected of having been lured by a crypto-related trafficking ring.
Three of them were stopped at Naia Terminal 3 after attempting to depart via an Air Asia flight to Bangkok, said Ann Camille Mina, BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit chief.
Mina said they initially claimed to be traveling on a company group tour and presented several documents proving their affiliation with the firm.
But their inconsistent statements prompted the immigration officer to have them subjected to a secondary inspection.
According to Mina, they admitted finally that they had been offered a salary of P40,000 each to work for an investment company in Laos.
The jobs offered to them were customer service representative, sales representative and cook, which they learned about through an agent on social media.
‘Don’t entertain offers’
Officers at Clark airport also blocked three men from flying to Thailand via a Scoot Airlines flight after they gave a similar story.
The three had claimed to be working for a local cargo company and were traveling together on a group tour.
But they later admitted that they were recruited to work as encoders and e-games staff members after being offered a salary of $1,000 by an agent they also met through a social messaging app.
“There are reports that many of our kababayan (compatriots) are offered work in BPOs (business process outsourcing companies), only to end up working for scamming companies abroad,” said Tansingco.
“We reiterate our warning not to entertain offers received on social media, and always coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers when applying for legal work abroad,” he added.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier warned of a looming humanitarian crisis if the recruitment of Filipinos for employment scams continued unabated.
