MANILA, Philippines – Immigration officers have intercepted a 22-year-old woman believed to be a victim of a mail-order bride scheme, preventing her from leaving the country.

The Bureau of Immigration’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section flagged the woman at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on January 14 as she was about to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Shanghai, China.

The victim initially claimed she was traveling to visit her Chinese husband, but inconsistencies in her story and documents raised red flags. 

While she first stated that they had been in a three-year relationship before marrying, further questioning revealed conflicting details. 

She eventually admitted to meeting her alleged husband through an online app on November 21, meeting him in person the following day, and marrying him two days later in exchange for P50,000 to support her family.

The victim also disclosed that her husband had asked if she earned commissions for referring other Filipinas to similar arrangements.

“Social media makes recruitment for this scheme quick,” said Immigration Officer Viado. 

“In previous cases, Filipinas are trapped in these pseudo-marriages and are made to do domestic work without pay because they are ‘married’ already to their foreign partners,” he said

The woman has been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation and potential legal action against the perpetrators.

Authorities continue to urge the public to remain vigilant against such schemes, which often exploit vulnerable individuals under the guise of marriage.