- The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) intensified its monitoring of online job scams, following reports of over 200 Filipinos duped into fake farm jobs in Myanmar.
- Working with DICT, Facebook, and TikTok, the DMW has already removed 17,000 illegal postings linked to human trafficking and cyber scam syndicates in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
- The DMW urged aspiring OFWs to verify recruiters’ licenses, avoid tourist visa offers, and report suspicious ads, emphasizing that only DMW-accredited agencies can legally deploy workers abroad.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has stepped up its watch on online job ads after reports that over 200 Filipinos, who were deployed to work in Myanmar's fake farms, approached the government for repatriation. The critical situation highlighted the surge of fake job offers circulating on social media platforms targeting applicants seeking jobs abroad.
In a report by Ivan Mayrina for '24 Oras', the DMW is closely monitoring online ads that advertise package tours and job offers that claim to be based in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Most of these ads, authorities stated, are fronts for human trafficking and cyber scam operations that entice Filipinos with the promise of legitimate overseas work. After being recruited, victims are usually brought through several nations before being delivered to their intended destinations, where they are compelled to labor in illegal practices such as cyber scams and online fraud.
Government officials have already removed over 17,000 internet postings associated with illegal recruitment syndicates and bogus job offers. The DMW, together with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has been aggressively working with major social media sites such as Facebook and TikTok to stem the proliferation of these misleading ads. These social media sites have been called on to tighten their mechanisms to identify and pull out illegal recruitment postings faster.
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Aside from monitoring and takedowns, the DMW has also filed criminal charges against those involved in illegal recruitment activities. The agency again stressed that only recruiters who are licensed and accredited by the DMW can legally assist Filipinos in obtaining overseas employment. It cautioned the public against transacting with agents or agencies that do not have proper documentation or proof of legitimacy.
DMW officials also emphasized that would-be overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should be careful and also conduct rigorous background screening prior to accepting any job offer in foreign countries. Most of the victims, they added, fall into the trap of recruiters who first promise to send them to the right employers abroad but eventually reroute them to other countries where they are taken advantage of. The agency underlined that legal recruitment agencies clearly state job information, provide confirmed contracts, and do not insist on applicants coming on tourist visas.
The recent repatriation appeals by Filipinos stranded in Myanmar's scam compounds highlight the need for strict vigilance on the part of job applicants. The DMW confirmed that it is in close coordination with other government agencies and foreign partners to rescue the affected individuals and avoid such instances in the future. The department reiterates that safeguarding oneself against illegal recruitment begins with awareness and confirmation verifying documents, cross-checking job offers, and reporting questionable actions to the authorities.
