(Eagle News) –The Bureau of Immigration has warned the public against individuals extorting money online.
The bureau issued the reminder after receiving a complaint about an individual who introduced herself as a bureau lawyer and asked for P45,000 from an Indian national in exchange for the processing of the student’s school records.
“We conducted an investigation and saw that there were many similar complaints in the past about this fake lawyer that introduced herself as a certain Atty. Lisa Perez Tubban. She presented herself as a fixer that can process the application of these students,” bureau chief Jaime Morente said.
According to Morente, records showed that there was no such person employed by the bureau.
“We suspect she’s using a fake name, as she used the photo of one of our contractual employees as her profile picture,” Morente said.
The victim told authorities she started talking to the supposed lawyer in February, following a disagreement with her school.
After paying the P45,000 in tranches, the suspect stopped replying to the student, the bureau said.
“These are all scams. Immediately report to the authorities if you encounter any such attempts,” Morente said.
He said the case would be referred to the National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Cybercrime Group for investigation.
Earlier, the bureau also warned against fake immigration officers promising to escort travelers at the airport in exchange for a fee.