In a recent incident at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City, a woman named Amy, aged 27, was intercepted by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers. Amy had fallen victim to a scam that promised illegal work abroad for a fee of PHP120,000. She was caught on January 2 while attempting to leave the country under the pretense of being a tourist headed to Bangkok, Thailand.
Amy was stopped at the departure counters, unable to produce her passport and boarding pass. She explained that these documents were with a man she had met at a nearby restaurant. Further investigation revealed that the photo of her passport and boarding pass she presented had a fake immigration stamp.
Amy confessed that she was enticed by a Facebook advertisement offering immigration escort services. She made multiple online bank transfers totaling PHP120,000 and handed over her travel documents to the man, who promised to arrange an escort for her. Just before her flight, she was instructed to hurry to the boarding gates, only to be intercepted by BI officers. It was then discovered that the man had blocked her on all communication channels.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado suggested that Amy might have been dealing with a mail-order bride syndicate. He emphasized the dangers of such illegal schemes that exploit vulnerable individuals looking for better opportunities. Viado urged the public to be cautious and adhere to proper immigration procedures to avoid becoming victims of such scams.
Following her interception, Amy was referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further assistance.