The Bureau of Immigration has issued a warning to overseas Filipino workers or OFWs against fake immigration officers offering assistance to facilitate their departure from the country in exchange of money.
In a statement, BI Chief Jaime Morente said that the agency already asked for the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in going after these fixers pretending to be immigration officers.
Morente said that the new modus was discovered after they received a complaint from a Filipino worker bound for Dubai using a tourist visa last December.
Morente said that a fake immigration officer offered the OFW assistance and escorted her for a fee.
The fraudulent immigration officer reportedly claimed that he was assigned as an immigration officer at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and had the capacity to allow the victim’s departure.
The woman initially gave PHP7,000 to the officer and PHP28,500 through bank transfer to the suspect.
The woman then later on gave another PHP39,500 upped her total transfer to PHP75,000 and attempted to depart, but was intercepted again.
“The victim tried to ask for her money back from the suspect, but he made excuses about it,” Morente said in a statement.
Morente said that the suspect who introduced himself as ‘James’ was not part of their employees’ list.
“I am unable to disclose the details of the said fixer, but we received intelligence information yesterday about him. We already have his identity,” Morente said.
“I have instructed our Travel Control and Enforcement Unit and Intelligence Division to coordinate with the NBI and ensure that this person faces the harshest penalties of the law,” Morente added. (TDT)
