Philippines shuts down 70,000 fake job ads to protect workers
The Philippine government has removed over 70,000 fake job ads on Facebook and TikTok to protect Filipinos from falling victim to scams.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced that these fake postings were designed to lure job seekers into paying large fees for jobs that do not exist.
Some victims were sent abroad and forced to work under terrible conditions, local reports indicate.
Officials said scammers often impersonate legitimate recruitment agencies by copying their official websites or pages.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac explained that as soon as fake posts are identified, they are reported and taken down with the help of Facebook and TikTok. Over 50,000 of these posts were removed from Facebook and more than 21,000 from TikTok.
The DMW has advised job seekers to be cautious and check the department's website to verify if a recruitment agency is legitimate.
Many of these fake jobs target workers for overseas employment, with some scams leading victims to jobs in call centres in Thailand, Singapore, or Vietnam.
These workers are often trafficked to other countries like Cambodia or Myanmar, where they are forced to work in cryptocurrency scams.
In one case, a man was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He was promised a job in Cambodia but was being sent first to Vietnam.
Authorities say such scams can cost victims up to Php200,000 (around $3,700).
The DMW is working with other government agencies and local organisations to prevent illegal recruitment and help protect workers.
