Scam hubs offer POGO-like jobs abroad

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned on Thursday that these scam hubs disguised as online gambling or call centers continue to recruit Filipinos. "Most of the victims were recruited through social media platforms, particularly Facebook, where they were enticed by job postings in groups labeled as "POGO work abroad," Viado said. He urged jobseekers "to thoroughly verify overseas job offers, especially those that promise unusually high salaries." Viado issued the warning after the BI's Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section intercepted last Feb. 15 four men and a woman at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) who were reportedly lured into working for a scam center in Cambodia. The five initially claimed they were tourists bound for Hong Kong on a Cebu Pacific flight at NAIA Terminal 3. Immigration officers found their documents to be suspicious and, upon secondary interview, the five admitted that, after arriving in Hong Kong, they were told that they will transfer to a flight to Cambodia, where they were to be employed by a business process outsourcing company. One of the victims said he did not know they were recruited for scam centers and had no idea what cryptocurrency is. The victim said that he was compelled to agree to the scheme to be able to support a sick family member. The victims said they were offered P30,000 to P50,000 monthly salary with free board and lodging.