The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has given voice to its heightened alarm over a reported escalation in trafficking cases, especially among young, unwitting Filipinos, by catphishing syndicates.
In a Sunday press release, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that in the span of a single week, 14 victims had been preempted from leaving the country to work in scam hubs overseas.
A first batch, consisting of three victims aged 33, 25, and 27, was intercepted on February 4, prior to boarding their flight to Thailand.
“The BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) reported that the passengers appeared to be first-time travelers on a self-funded trip to Thailand. However, their conflicting responses during initial questioning raised suspicions, prompting their referral for further inspection,” the agency said.
Further inspection revealed they were recruits for customer service work at a business process outsourcing (BPO) company in Cambodia.
Eleven more victims were intercepted the following day. They told authorities they were students on a four-day trip to Thailand, but their conflicting accounts prompted further investigation. It was likewise uncovered that they were promised work at fake BPOs in Pakistan for ₱50,000 monthly.
All rescued victims were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance. Furthermore, the bureau said legal action will be taken against the recruiters.
BI I-PROBES Chief Mary Jane Hizon stressed these cases were “disturbing” in how syndicates would target young, vulnerable Filipinos and eventually force them to work in scam hubs.
“Commissioner Viado blasted the scheme, stressing that 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 statement read.
