BI warns professionals vs. crypto scam trafficking
-
Loading... - Rimas Rizalino
- 14 Feb 2023
- 65 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday warned about a trafficking scheme by cryptocurrency scammers who lure Filipino professionals to work illegally in parts of Southeast Asia.
The bureau made the warning after the rescue of eight Filipinos - four males and four females - who fell victim to a crypto ring that forced them "to trick individuals into investing in cryptocurrency."
"Filipino recruits were required to develop relationships with their targets via social media, and entice them to invest in a pseudo crypto account. If they were unable to scam enough people, they would be subjected to physical punishments," the BI said in a statement. "These networks reportedly operate in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia."
One of the four Filipino males left as a registered overseas worker in Dubai last 2019, while the three others previously left as tourists in 2016, 2019, and 2021 to visit immediate family members but has not returned since, the BI said.
Meanwhile, two of the female victims had previous short-term travels, with one even traveling with her husband.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros previously revealed that human trafficking syndicates are luring Filipinos to work as crypto scammers in Cambodia, where they are forced to dupe foreigners to invest in cryptocurrencies. Read More…
