IMMIGRATION Commissioner Joel Viado yesterday said human trafficking syndicates use the communication app Telegram and social media platform Facebook to recruit their Filipino victims.
Viado said this was the trend gathered by the Bureau of Immigration when it intercepted last year 125 Filipino workers who were lured by social media ads posted by human traffickers in Telegram and Facebook.
“The scheme has become more widespread, with 125 cases intercepted throughout 2024,” he said.
On March 28 this year, he said four victims – three males and one female – were again stopped by the BI while attempting to board a Cebu Pacific flight bound to Malaysia.
“The victims, tricked by false promises of legitimate jobs, were lured by deceptive social media ads promising attractive pay and coerced into creating fake online profiles, resembling to online love scams,” Viado said.
To recall, 206 Filipinos were repatriated last month after being forced to work in scam hubs in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
Viado said trafficking syndicates target individuals aged 20 to 44 through misleading ads that offer higher salaries.
Most of the victims, he said, are college graduates, with majority coming from the National Capital Region and nearby provinces.
“Majority of those intercepted last year were forced by their recruiters to pretend to be working in local companies, mostly in BPOs or call centers,” he also said.
Viado said most of scam victims are trafficked to Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar – countries that have become known for online scam hubs.
