AMID THE mass repatriation efforts of the National Government in the Middle East, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) warned overseas Filipino workers (OFW) against unscrupulous individuals.
In a social media post, the DMW warned OFWs against recruitment rackets from scammers posing as agents for government repatriation efforts.
"Fellow countrymen, let's be extra careful against scammers, who pretend to help with the government's repatriation efforts," the DMW said.
"If it's too good to be true, it's probably a scam," the DMW added.
Under the modus, scammers offer "priority" or "assured" flights home in exchange for fees while pretending to be connected to the embassy or government.
The DMW said such individuals ask for personal information and large processing fees.
The DMW said the National Government, through the DMW or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, processes legitimate OFW repatriation and never requires payment.
The DMW said OFWs must not rely on random messages on Facebook, WhatsApp, or text, but rather official pages and hotlines.
The DMW began bringing home OFWs and their dependents from the Middle East on March 5.
Since then, the DMW has safely repatriated 3,248 OFWs and their dependents from different countries in the Gulf region. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)