MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted a 31-year-old woman allegedly recruited to work illegally abroad using a deceptive travel route designed to bypass airport inspections.

In a statement, BI spokesperson Joel Anthony Viado said the woman was stopped on October 15 while attempting to leave the country with a fake travel itinerary for supposed employment overseas.

The BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) reported that the passenger initially claimed she was traveling for the first time on a self-funded trip to Hong Kong. However, an invalid ticket raised suspicions and led to further questioning.

Upon closer inspection, the woman admitted that she had been recruited to work as a customer service representative in Thailand, with promises of a ₱50,000 monthly salary. Authorities believe she was actually being sent to work as a “catphisher” in an online scam hub.

Viado said the incident highlights a trafficking tactic known as the “Talon Modus”, in which victims are first sent to a nearby tourist destination before being rerouted to their real work site using fake travel documents.

“This deceptive tactic is used by traffickers to evade stricter immigration checks while forcing victims into illegal work,” Viado said. “Our officers are trained to detect irregular itineraries and verify suspicious travel patterns.”

He also urged aspiring overseas workers not to fall for such schemes, warning that recruiters often confiscate victims’ passports and force them into exploitative labor abroad.

The victim has been referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance as authorities work to identify and apprehend her recruiters.