BI warns of new overseas romance scam hubs luring Filipinos with fake jobs
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado confirmed the return of a 24-year-old Filipino man who was rescued from such a scam operation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He arrived via Philippine Airlines following a repatriation effort coordinated with the Philippine Embassy.
According to the victim, he was forced to pose as a woman using multiple fake profiles on dating apps like Tinder. His job involved initiating chats with unsuspecting users under the guise of a 'wrong send' message, eventually engaging in romantic exchanges to deceive and manipulate them.
The victim revealed that he was made to work grueling 15-hour shifts and was physically intimidated by his handlers using head taps and stun batons whenever he failed to meet performance quotas.
Commissioner Viado stressed that these aren't ordinary scams but highly organized human trafficking operations. He warned Filipinos to be cautious and thoroughly verify any overseas job offers. The BI has already handed over intelligence gathered from the incident to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to track and prosecute those behind these schemes.
'These operations prey on the desperation of people looking for better lives abroad,' Viado said. 'We're committed to dismantling these networks and protecting our citizens.'
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