Single mom duped by 'BFF' into giving money for empty promise of a Dubai job

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – She had known her since grade school. They went to college together. And so, she must have thought it’s fine to give her the P40,000 she was asking to get her to Dubai for a promised job. But no. Her childhood friend was gone after receiving the money. Ghosted her, too.

Rebecca (not her real name), a 32-year-old single mother of two, was in disbelief her “best friend forever” (BFF) could do that to her. 

“Nag-promise ako sa parents ko na ‘wag na siyang habulin pa. Karma na bahala sa kanya,” said Rebecca, who holds a degree in hotel and restaurant management and hails from Iloilo. Her kids are four and nine years old. 

(I promised my parents not to go after here anymore. Karma will deal with her.)

“We were in the same school till college. She's my best friend. I still want to talk to her and ask her how could she do it. But I couldn’t find her at any social media account anymore,” she added in a mix of English and the vernacular.

Rebecca said her BFF was in Dubai and she was working as a tutor in Singapore when the latter urged her to come to the city around September last year. They were communicating through Facebook private messenger at the time.

“I was convinced by her to leave Singapore and go to Dubai. She offered work. Masyado akong nagtiwala sa kaniya. Pinadala ko 'yung pera sa kanya to process everything kasi agency daw,” Rebecca said. 

(I trusted her so much. I sent the money to process everything because she said she was transacting through an agency.)

Thinking that everything was going on track, Rebecca travelled to Bangkok to see the city before flying to Dubai. She ended up stranded instead, having not heard from her BFF for a month.

“Naabutan ako ng one month sa Thailand, wala pa rin papers ko. Sabi niya babalik na lang daw niya yung pera ko. Nag-send siya ng resibo. Pero nang i-claim namin, edited pala. Naubos 'yung savings ko. Grabe yung worries ko nung andun ako,” Rebecca said.

(A month has passed and I still didn’t have my papers. She then told me she’d just return my money. She sent a receipt but I found out when I tried to claim the money that it was tampered. My savings were all used up staying in Bangkok. I was terribly worried while I was there.)

Rebecca, with help from her sister, still managed to reach Dubai. 

“Naghanap 'yung kapatid ko ng kakilala niya na puwedeng mag-process ng visa at ticket ko papunta dito sa Dubai. Kasi baka pag na-uwi ako ng ‘Pinas ay mahihirapan na naman akong mag-abroad ulit,” she said.

(My sister sought help for me to have a visa and plane ticket. I was worried about once again having to go through difficulties trying to leave the country if I opted to go home to the Philippines.)

She arrived in Dubai on November 22 last year with a month-long visit visa. Fortunately for her, she found a job as a restaurant waitress before the visa expired. The whole experience she went through was harrowing, she said.

“Ang hirap. Grabe. Pa-unti-unti pa lang akong nakakabangon sa ginawa ng BFF ko. Kasi pagdating ko dito, wala rin akong alam o kakilala man lang. I'm feeling better now. Trying to get back on track. Mahirap po to be honest, pero kakayanin for my kids back home. Ako lang ang nagsu-suport sa kanila,” Rebecca said.

(It was hard. I have just slowly been able to recover from what my BFF did. I didn’t know anything nor anybody when I got here. But I am feeling better now. Trying to get back on track. It’s hard, to be honest. But I’ll persevere for my kids’ sake back home. I am the only one supporting them.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News