EIGHT Filipinos bound for Indonesia were stopped at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers uncovered signs that they may have been lured abroad through a “catphishing” recruitment scheme.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said on Monday that the five men and three women, with ages ranging from 26 to 49, were accosted by Immigration agents at NAIA Terminal 1 while waiting for a flight to Surabaya, Indonesia, via Malaysia.
Viado warned that “catphishing” — a recruitment tactic that builds trust through fabricated identities or relationships to lure jobseekers — remains an active threat.
“This case is alarming because these are not isolated incidents, and the modus is clearly still happening,” Viado said.
Some of those intercepted had already experienced exploitation abroad or had previously been rescued or repatriated.
The victims at first claimed they were going on a five-day leisure trip with former call center co-workers from Makati City.
But their stories began to unravel during secondary inspection after some could not positively identify their supposed travel companions.
They finally admitted they had been recruited for customer service jobs in Indonesia and promised monthly salaries ranging from $1,000 to $1,500.
The group’s travel histories raised even more red flags. Five had previously worked in Cambodia and Myanmar, while two reportedly exited those countries through so-called “backdoor” routes often associated with illegal migration and trafficking operations.
One of them had previously been repatriated from Myanmar after reportedly becoming a trafficking victim.
Another had worked as a teacher in Thailand despite holding only a tourist visa.
Viado said traffickers continue to adapt their methods but rely on a familiar formula: promises of lucrative jobs, high salaries, and carefully crafted stories designed to gain the victim’s trust.
He urged Filipinos seeking work overseas to verify not only the job offer but also the recruiter, employer and travel documents before leaving the country.
Viado also cautioned travelers against relying solely on online contacts or recruiters and urged them to confirm overseas employment opportunities through legitimate government channels.
The eight were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assessment, assistance and appropriate intervention as potential victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment.
