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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 3 Filipinos suspected victims of scam hubs abroad barred from leaving PH -- BI

3 Filipinos suspected victims of scam hubs abroad barred from leaving PH -- BI

Published Jul 22, 2025 12:48 pm
Three Filipinos, who were suspected to have been hired by scam hubs abroad, have been barred from leaving the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, July 22.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said in a statement the three Filipinos -- two males and one female -- were intercepted by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last July 20.
Viado said the three persons, whose identities were withheld in line with anti-trafficking laws, posed as tourists and were barred from boarding their flight to Da Nang, Vietnam.
The BI said that one of the male victims admitted that he was recruited by a former colleague who had worked with him at a BPO (business process outsourcing) company and was offered a monthly salary of $1,200 to work for an international airline in Cambodia.
It said the man agreed due to financial hardship since their house had already been pawned.
The woman, on the other hand, told immigration officers that “she found the job through a Facebook post and was later offered a customer service representative (CSR) position in Vietnam via a Telegram post from an account with Chinese characters” with a salary of $800 a month, the BI said.
It also said the woman admitted that she received fake employment documents via courier the day before her flight.
The other male passenger, the BI said, also found the job offer on Telegram and was promised a monthly salary of $1,500, a three percent commission per sale, and a P25,000 sign-in bonus, and was told to pretend as a solo tourist. It also said the man received travel money and documents from a Chinese contact.
“He had no contract, no work visa, and was not even informed of the company name in Vietnam,” the BI added.
The suspected victims have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
“If a job offer requires you to lie to authorities, travel without proper documents, or deal only through anonymous online contacts, it is almost certainly a scam,” Viado warned.
He also urged the public to report suspicious recruitment activities.
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