BI warns Filipinos vs job offers on Facebook

File photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday warned the public about a trafficking scheme in which Filipinos were “sold” between online scam syndicates in Cambodia after being lured through fake overseas job offers.

The warning came after four trafficking victims, aged between 20 and 30, were repatriated from Phnom Penh and arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on April 19 aboard a Philippine Airlines flight. Their return was facilitated by the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat).

Investigations showed that the victims were recruited through Facebook job advertisements offering high-paying work as encoders and customer service staff, the BI said in a statement.

READ: 26 Filipino workers return from Cambodia upon their request

However, once overseas, the victims’ passports were confiscated and they were forced to work online, posing as agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or as romantic partners on dating platforms to scam foreign nationals, the agency added.

When they failed to meet targets, the victims were reportedly punished, overworked, and eventually sold or “transferred” to other syndicates as if they were commodities.

“They were treated like property — bought, sold, and abused. Their stories are clear proof that these syndicates operate with no regard for human dignity. This must stop,” said Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.