A total of 50 Filipinos in Cambodia were rescued on Thursday, Sep. 8, after falling victim to illegal recruitment by online scamming and catfishing activity, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.
Citing a report from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the DFA on Friday said the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh facilitated the rescue of the said individuals after coordination with the local authorities.
In 2021, 61 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were also rescued for the same reason, DFA added.
DFA did not provide additional information on the case of the rescued OFWs but it warned Filipinos in Cambodia "not to accept online job offers that promise a large paycheck but with unverified companies and vague employment details."
Recently, DFA added, the Philippine Embassy already coordinated with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which also led to the suspension of direct hire application for the business processing sector in Cambodia.
That was done to curb the illegal recruitment of Filipinos for Cambodia, DFA also said.
Several interagency measures have also been set up among various government agencies for a whole-of-government approach to the matter, according to the DFA.