Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente issued a warning against unscrupulous individuals posing as relatives and friends of BI officials.
Morente shared that he has received reports that scammers have been offering illegal services by flaunting their ‘close’ ties to BI management.
“In one recent case, the scammer was able to get P200,000 from their victim, whose visa they alleged to ‘fix’,” he said. “The victim was made to believe that the scammer is a relative of a BI official,” he shared.
Morente again warned the public not to believe such claims and immediately report any offer to the proper authorities. “We do not condone illegal activities, and we are also considering seeking legal action against these scammers who besmirch the names of our officials and employees for their gain,” he stated.
In January, the BI also warned the public of scammers using social media to offer fixing services online.
In a statement, Morente said that his office has received reports of pseudo-employees offering assistance for overseas workers to illegally depart for Japan and the Middle East.
“In one report, the scammers used the social media photos of one of our alien control officers to create a fake account, and offer his services in several Facebook groups online,” said Morente.
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BI warns of scammers posing as relatives, friends of immigration officials
The scammer reportedly took a total of P670,000 from several victims.
Morente encouraged victims to immediately report any scamming attempt to local law enforcement authorities.
“Do not transact with these scammers who use the name of the Bureau for their illegal activities,” said Morente. “We do not condone such, and advice the public to report any attempts to local authorities as this is a type of scamming and cybercrime,” he added.