MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning against a new wave of overseas scam hubs targeting Filipinos through fake job offers that lead to forced labor and online fraud operations abroad.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said a 24-year-old male victim was recently repatriated from Cambodia through a Philippine Airlines flight from Phnom Penh, following a successful rescue operation coordinated with the Philippine Embassy.

The victim revealed he was recruited to manage fake online dating profiles and initiate flirtatious conversations with unsuspecting users, beginning with scripted “wrong message” texts on platforms like Tinder. He admitted to running at least three fake female profiles to lure targets.

According to his account, he was subjected to abusive working conditions, including 15-hour shifts and threats of physical harm. “His employer would tap his head with force or activate stun batons near him to intimidate and instill fear,” Viado said.

“These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill online scams — we’re talking about full-blown operations linked to human trafficking,” Viado warned. “Victims aren’t just losing money; they’re being thrown to do shady deals.”

He urged Filipinos to remain vigilant and verify all overseas job offers before signing up, emphasizing that trafficking syndicates often disguise themselves behind seemingly legitimate employment opportunities.

The BI said it has forwarded intelligence reports to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to investigate the recruiters and any individuals involved in the victim’s illegal deployment.