The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has warned Filipinos anew against dubious overseas jobs offers after it repatriated 26 Filipinos in Cambodia.
The DFA cited an advisory by the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia reminding Filipinos to be vigilant and take necessary steps to verify job opportunities offered overseas such as “customer service representatives (CSR)” or chat support representatives.
“In many cases, these supposed CSR jobs involve victimizing unsuspecting individuals through love scams or fake investment schemes,” DFA said.
Quite a number of Filipinos, it added, have either “knowingly pursued or have been duped” by the employment package offers, including getting a salary ranging from USD800 to USD1,000 or more.
“According to Filipinos who were lured into this line of work, their recruiters provided no employment contracts,” the advisory read.
“Instead of direct flights to the country of destination, they were made to travel via other airports in the region. Some were taken to certain sea channels in the southern Philippines to escape immigration checks,” it added.
The DFA confirmed it has earlier repatriated 26 Filipinos from Oddar Meanchey Province in Cambodia, but has yet to confirm their profile or whether they were victims of the scam hubs in Southeast Asia.
The repatriation was made possible with the coordination between the Embassy and the Cambodian authorities.
The DFA said this is “a testament to the long-standing friendly ties between the Philippines and Cambodia and highlights the readiness of both governments to cooperate closely in matters of mutual concern.”
Representatives from government agencies, including the DFA, Department of Migrant Workers, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), were at the airport to personally receive the 26 repatriates and provide them assistance.
The DFA, meanwhile, assured its Assistance-to-Nationals mandate remains a priority for all Philippine Foreign Service Posts. (With PNA)