Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente has warned the public against unscrupulous individuals who are claiming that they can "fix" problems with the agency because they are either close relatives or friends of top immigration officials.
Morente said he received information that scammers have been offering illegal services by flaunting their ‘close’ ties to BI management.
“In one recent case, a scammer was able to extort P200,000 from victim who has a visa problem. The victim was made to believe that the scammer is a relative of a high-ranking BI official,” the BI chief stated.
Morente cautioned the public not to believe such claims and report immediately any offer to the immigration and police authorities.
“We do not condone illegal activities," he declared
Last month, the BI also warned the public against scammers using social media and offering illegal services online.