(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration has warned the public against individuals pretending to be bureau officials and seeking favors.
The bureau issued the statement following reports of the scammers targeting heads of its provincial offices.
“These scammers would call up the office and pretend to be from the BI’s top management, often requesting cellphone load and other small favors,” bureau chief Jaime Morente said.
According to Morente, the modus was a recurring scheme, often targeting newly-appointed office heads of the bureau.
Earlier, the bureau warned of online fixers pretending to be bureau employees, scamming foreign nationals.
It also warned against fake immigration officers soliciting money in exchange for them being escorted inside the airport.
“Do not deal with fixers. These are scammers that are only out to deceive you,” Morente said.
“In most cases, these scammers would leave you behind once they have received the payment from you. Do not deal with them. Information about our processes including fees and procedures can be found online in our website, and we have made ways to streamline our transactions to make them easier for the transacting public,” he added.