Online influencer, 2 others fall victim to human trafficking scam in Myanmar

Three more individuals, including a social media influencer, were repatriated to the Philippines after falling victim to a human trafficking scheme, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday.

According to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the victims, who were in their 20s and 30s, safely landed back in the country from Myanmar on June 15 via a Singapore Airlines flight.

The victims said they were initially recruited to work in a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm in Thailand but were transferred to Yangon, Myanmar to work in a pseudo-call center agency reportedly involved in online scamming.

They departed from Manila in April and disguised themselves as tourists visiting Singapore.

“One of the victims was even an online influencer, with more than 10 thousand subscribers,” said Tansingco in a statement.

He also reiterated his warning to aspiring overseas workers not to agree to work abroad by departing as tourists, adding they should apply for overseas jobs through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

“Huwag matigas ang ulo, napaka-rami nang nabiktima, paulit-ulit na ang mga nangyayari sa kanila,” the BI chief said.

(Don’t be stubborn. There are a lot of victims and their experiences are the same.)

“Leaving as tourists makes you more vulnerable, and we have received reports of victims being physically abused by these traffickers. If you wish to work abroad, do so legally, through the Department of Migrant Workers,” he added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News