BI warns Filipinos aspiring to work abroad to beware of crypto scams

The Bureau of Immigration logo is superimposed over the airport scene. INQUIRER.net FILES

MANILA Philippines – The Bureau of Immigrations (BI) on Wednesday told Filipinos wanting to work abroad to exercise caution following cases of human trafficking schemes targeting young professionals.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said these schemes target urban professionals with the financial capability to travel abroad.

“Ngayon po ang mga victims ay young urban professionals, mga nakapag-aral sa mga magagandang paaralan; mga mayroon na pong biyahe, may previous travels na,” she said in a public briefing.

(Victims now are young urban professionals who studied in prestigious schools and even have previous travel records.)

“These are not the usual ones na iisipin mo na mabibiktma ng mga trafficking syndicates,” Sandoval added.

(These are not the usual ones you might think will fall victim to trafficking syndicates.)

Furthermore, Sandoval said the human trafficking schemes are usually disguised as online job postings for call centers or business processing outsourcing (BPOs) that offer generous incentives and pay.

“They are offered to work in BPOs mga call centers po, inaalok po sila ng mga malalaking sahod, magagandang incentives only to find out that this is a crypto scam,” the spokesperson explained.

(They are offered to work in BPOs, in call centers, they are offered big salaries and good incentives only to discover that it is a crypto scam.)

“Pagdating po doon, nakatanggap po tayo ng reports na sila po ay sinasaktan, may physical torture po. Hindi po pinapasweldo ng tama, sila po ay talagang binibiktima doon at pinipipilit din po silang mangbiktima ng ibang tao,” Sandoval added.

(Once they arrive, we receive reports that they are subjected to physical abuse and torture. They do not receive their salaries, are victimized, and are forced to scam other people.)

Citing the Department of Foreign Affairs records, Sandoval said there are over a hundred victims already.

The BI rescued eight Filipino workers from Myanmar on February 13.—Vance Chan, Inquirer.net, trainee

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