(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration has warned the public against unscrupulous individuals posing as its personnel on Facebook to solicit money from Filipinos who wish to work abroad.
According to the bureau, the public should “not condone such,” and should instead report any attempts to local authorities.
Immigration Chief Jaime Morente said this was, after all, “a type of scamming and cybercrime.”
Morente made the statement following reports of these individuals offering assistance for overseas workers to illegally depart for Japan and the Middle East.
According to Morente, in one instance, the scammers used the social media photos of one of its control officers to create a fake account and offered his services in several Facebook groups online.
That person who posed as the immigration employee, the bureau said, managed to scam several victims of a total of P670,000.
“Do not transact with these scammers who use the name of the Bureau for their illegal activities,” he said.
He said those who wish to work abroad are required to secure the necessary permits from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which they would then present upon departure.
