The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reiterated a warning to aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Wednesday, urging them to avoid purchasing documents on social media platforms and messaging apps due to the high risk of fraud.

BI commissioner Norman Tansingco cited recent interceptions of Filipina victims who presented fake Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) obtained through WhatsApp and Facebook.

On 24 May, BI officers at Clark International Airport (CIA) apprehended a 49-year-old woman — whose identity was withheld — attempting to depart for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on an Emirates Airlines flight. The woman presented a fraudulent OEC.

Bienvenido Castillo III, chief of the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), identified the woman as a former OFW seeking redeployment to the UAE. During secondary inspection, she confessed to purchasing the fake OEC on WhatsApp for P7,200 via money transfer.

I-PROBES reported another case on 26 May at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. A 25-year-old Filipina identified only as alias “Lovely” attempted to leave for Kuwait on a Gulf Air flight.

Lovely initially presented a printed OEC and employment contract. Inconsistencies in the documents led to a secondary inspection, where authorities discovered the fake employment certificate. She reportedly obtained it from a Facebook account called “OEC Appointment” for P500.

“Our data-sharing agreement with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) allows instant verification of OEC legitimacy,” Tansingco said. “Don’t buy permits online — it’s a scam. Always follow legal channels for work abroad.”