DOLE warns jobseekers against impostor social media accounts
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday warned Filipinos against social media pages and accounts pretending to be Labor department employees and offering job opportunities locally and abroad.
DOLE said its Information and Publication Service received a report from a jobseeker claiming she discussed a local job opportunity with a man who claimed to work at the department and who introduced himself as Arthur Villena.
The jobseeker said she got the details from a Facebook page called "DOLE Job Assistance-Local and Abroad." The page was said to have used the Labor department's official logo, training documentation, and a photo of former Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
The page was also said to have posted offers across four continents. Job positions include nurses, caregivers, managers, restaurant staff and more.
Page still available on Facebook
A Facebook page that bears the same name and elements mentioned is still active. It lacks the standard blue verification badge and provides an external link different from DOLE’s official website address.
The jobseeker who reported to DOLE said she called a number posted on the page and was instructed to send P1,000 as a reservation fee. She was then told by “Villena” to meet with him at the DOLE central office in Intramuros, Manila.
The jobseeker finally sought assistance from DOLE when she was unable to find “Villena” and the number she earlier contacted was no longer reachable.
“The DOLE IPS has already reported the page and coordinated with the management of Facebook to shut down the account to prevent job seekers from being victimized,” DOLE said in a release.
The Labor department also noted that it had previously encountered impostor pages and accounts pretending to be DOLE or the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration for illegal recruitment, scamming, and extortion.
“The public, particularly jobseekers, are encouraged to visit the official website of DOLE at www.dole.gov.ph, the PhilJobNet – www.philjobnet.gov.ph for local job posting, and of the POEA – www.poea.gov.ph for overseas job orders, and verify licensed and accredited recruitment agencies in the country,” DOLE said.
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