BI alarmed by increasing number of Filipinos lured by overseas scammers

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration has issued a warning about the increasing number of Filipino trafficking victims who are illegally departing the country through backdoor routes to work in "POGO-like" firms abroad.

This comes after the Philippine government arranged for the repatriation of three trafficking victims on March 16 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia after being lured into working as love scammers, according to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. 

According to the bureau, the victims reportedly sought help from the Philippine embassy after experiencing physical assault and torture from their employers for more than two months. These Filipinos were reportedly made to work as scammers. 

Upon arrival in the Philippines, they were assisted by the National Bureau of Investigation, which has initiated investigations against their recruiters.

An initial investigation found no official exit records for the three trafficking victims. According to their statements, they left the Philippines through unauthorized channels, boarding a small vessel from Jolo, Sulu that transported them to Sabah, Malaysia. 

Upon reaching Sabah, their passports were "allegedly stamped with fake Philippine departure stamps," according to the bureau. From there, they continued their journey overland to Kuala Lumpur, then took a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, before ultimately reaching their final destination in Cambodia. 

A forensic investigation by the bureau's documents laboratory confirmed that the passports had fake BI departure stamps.

"They were recruited via Facebook by a fellow Filipino promising a Customer Service Representative job in Cambodia with a monthly salary of USD 1,000.  Upon their arrival in Cambodia, they underwent training to work as ‘love scammers’ but received only USD 300," the bureau said.

After attempting to find new employment because of insufficient wages, the victims reported that their Chinese employer responded with physical assault, seized their phones, and left them stranded in an unfamiliar area. 

While it vows to continue strengthening border security measures, but the bureau said there was a need to coordinate more with local authorities to prevent illegal departures.

“Everyone must work together as there is a need to strengthen efforts at all levels to curb illegal departures. Traffickers are exploiting illegal routes to avoid detection by immigration, making it crucial for LGUs and local authorities to increase monitoring and enforcement in vulnerable areas,” said Viado.

“Industriya na ito na nagreresulta sa pang-aabuso sa kapwa nating Pilipino (This has become an industry that results in the abuse of Filipinos),” he added.

This is not the first time the bureau has warned against accepting dubious job offers from overseas recruiters. In December 2023, the bureau issued the same warning after the repatriation of 27 Filipinos from Cambodia, who were made to work as love scammers who targeted elderly men from the United Kingdom. 

This group of Filipinos, according to a BI press release, also took a backdoor route that passed through Sabah, Malaysia. They were later sold by their Chinese employers to another company before being rescued by Cambodian police. — Cristina Chi