The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday warned the public that human traffickers are now using legitimate overseas employment documents to move Filipinos abroad for scam operations.

The warning came following the repatriation of four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on 17 October who were trafficked to Laos.

The victims arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 aboard AirAsia flight Z2286 from Don Mueang, Thailand, after seeking help from the Philippine Embassy in Vientiane.

According to the BI, the four workers were supposedly bound for Brunei but were diverted to Laos through Thailand. They had been enticed by online advertisements offering customer support jobs with a promised salary of P47,000 a month.

Upon arriving in Laos, the victims said they were forced to work 15 hours daily without rest and made to perform unrelated tasks, such as maintaining social media accounts for online scams.

One of the victims admitted to being coerced into illegal activities, while another said the recruitment was facilitated by a former acquaintance through Facebook.

Investigations revealed that the workers received their Brunei work visas, employment contracts, Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar certificates, and Overseas Employment Certificates only on the day of their departure.

“The recruiters allegedly used Brunei as a cover destination to be able to illegally transfer to another country,” the BI said.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado described the case as alarming, noting that the victims’ willingness to proceed despite knowing the irregularities underscores the recruiters’ manipulative tactics.

The BI said the identities of the recruiters have been reported to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). One recruiter has reportedly been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation–International Airport Investigation Division.