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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Public warned vs 'fake BI documents' demanding money from recipients

Public warned vs 'fake BI documents' demanding money from recipients

Published May 13, 2025 03:07 pm

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned the public against fake documents, such as letters, purportedly sent by the bureau and demanding money from recipients.

“These types of fraudulent documents are used by scammers to create fear and urgency,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado in a statement.

Viado issued the warning after receipt of a copy of a fraudulent letter which bore his falsified signature and addressed to a female recipient in Pampanga.

He said the fraudulent letter is part of a love scam where victims are made to believe that their foreign partners, whom they met on the internet, are being held at the airport.

He also said the letter, which was written in poor English and has numerous factual inconsistencies, directed the recipient to stop communicating with her foreign partner.

At the same time, Viado said the fraudulent letter, which cited legal threats under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, told the recipient to contact a supposed officer via Facebook and a mobile number as well as instructed her to make unregistered payments to a bank account.

“Let me be clear: the Bureau does not authorize payments through personal accounts, nor do we issue instructions through unofficial channels,” he warned.  

“Do not fall for these types of scams,” he stressed.

He said he has asked law enforcement agencies to conduct a probe on the fraudulent letter.

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