Fourteen Filipinos "hired by scam hubs abroad" have been stopped from leaving the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Sunday, Feb. 9.

The BI said the 14 Filipinos were intercepted by immigration officers at the the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 last Feb. 4 and 5.

“The intercepted victims were referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance, and efforts are underway to file cases against the recruiters,” it said. 

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado expressed concerns over the rise of Filipinos being victimized into catphishing where individuals are forced to deceive victims online for financial gain.

Viado said “it places Filipinos in perilous situations where they face limited or no opportunity for escape, trapped in illegal work within unregulated industries and fraudulent business operations.”

The BI said the first to be intercepted were three Filipinos, with ages ranging from 27 to 33 years old, who were found to be first time travelers to Thailand.

“However, their conflicting responses during initial questioning raised suspicions, prompting their referral for further inspection,” it said.

“During questioning, the victims admitted they had been recruited to work in Cambodia as customer service representatives for a business process outsourcing (BPO) company,” it also said. 

It added that 11 more Filipinos who are in their mid-20s were intercepted last Feb. 5 before they could board their flight to Thailand.

“The victims initially claimed to be students from a certain school, embarking on a four-day trip to Thailand,” the BI said.  

“However, their inconsistent answers triggered further investigation. The victims had been lured with promises of P50,000 monthly pay to work at fraudulent BPOs in Pakistan,” it said.

“The recruiter had instructed them to pose as students on vacation and to conceal their Pakistani visas,” it added.