Scammers and illegal recruiters have been exploiting overseas job postings by legitimate recruitment agencies and even the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to lure unsuspecting applicants, the agency warned Tuesday.

DMW Undersecretary for Licensing and Adjudication Services Bernard Olalia said most scammers replicate legitimate job offers and recruit through social media platforms. 

“Their modus is very simple; they’ll contact you via Facebook, TikTok, or Messenger, or you’ll see a job post. If you engage with them, they’ll give you instructions, and soon after, they’ll send a GCash number where you’re expected to send payment,” Olalia explained. 

He emphasized that such online transactions are "red flags" for illegal recruitment.

Olalia also said the DMW has been actively tracking and reporting fake social media pages and websites that imitate licensed recruitment agencies, often referred to as “clones.” Around 80,000 of these clones have already been taken down across various platforms, he said.

However, Olalia acknowledged that the problem persists, with some pages being replaced just a day after removal.

The DMW monitors Facebook pages and IP addresses of accredited recruitment agencies to verify the legitimacy of their operations through its internal database.

“The main office is there [of legal recruitment agencies], the branch office is there and their websites where they can access online.”

He cited the Myanmar scam hubs as among the more serious cases of online illegal recruitment, describing them as “well-organized” networks that appear to have inside airport connections and help secure connecting flights for victims.

The DMW reminded aspiring overseas workers to always go through legal channels.

“It’s important that your visa is not a tourist visa. It’s important that it’s an employment visa. You should go through the DMW. We should have an exit permit because we are the only ones who can validate and guarantee that their employer is not fake.”