Backdoor routes in Philippines persist – BI
MANILA, Philippines — Traffickers are still using the country’s backdoor routes to lure more victims into working for scam hubs abroad that are similar to Philippine offshore gaming operators, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Local authorities in vulnerable areas should participate in strengthening border control, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said yesterday.
Three Filipinos allegedly lured to work as love scammers in Cambodia were repatriated on Sunday, Viado noted.
Initial probe showed that the victims had no official record of departure, as they supposedly exited the Philippines on a small boat from Jolo, Sulu to Sabah, Malaysia.
In Sabah, their passports were stamped with fake BI departure stamps before traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Cambodia.
Promised a customer service job with a monthly salary of $1,000 by a fellow Filipino on Facebook, the victims instead were trained to become “love scammers” earning $300.
The victims sought help from the Philippine embassy after their Chinese employers reportedly tortured them for more than two months.
The National Bureau of Investigation is probing the victims’ recruiters.
- Latest
- Trending
