By Celeste Tamayo
MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned the public about fake job offers circulating online, which are being used by human trafficking syndicates to lure individuals into working in scam hubs abroad.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that the number of catfishing scams continues to rise, with victims being deceived through fraudulent online job advertisements.
In 2024, the number of such cases reached 125.
The syndicates primarily target college graduates from the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces, enticing them with promises of high salaries.
According to the BI, many of those intercepted last year were forced by recruiters to pretend they were employed by local companies, mostly in the BPO or call center industry.
Victims are often trafficked to Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar—regions known for online scam hubs. Traffickers primarily use Telegram and Facebook to carry out these operations.
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