The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday it is already aware of Filipinos being recruited as cryptocurrency scammers in Cambodia as it assured the public that the government is working on their repatriation.
Citing DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega, Ma. Teresita Daza, DFA spokesperson, said the agency is already preparing for the return of Filipino victims not only in Cambodia but also in other parts of Southeast Asia.
This, as she noted of the “non-existing jobs” being promised to Filipinos “in certain countries only to be forced to work in illegal operations such as online scamming.”
“The Department, through its Embassies and in cooperation with local authorities, is working to bring home our nationals from places such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar,” Daza said.
DFA then advised the public to be vigilant and follow regular deployment procedures through the Department of Migrant Workers (DWM) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) before leaving for work abroad.
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Senator Risa Hontiveros disclosed the situation of Filipinos supposedly being recruited by a Chinese mafia to work in Cambodia.
The Filipinos were demanded to lure US and Canadian citizens to invest in cryptocurrecies.
Hontiveros discovered the plight of the Filipino workers after one of them sought her assistance for rescue.