BI warns of ‘love scammers’

MANILA, Philippines — “Love scammers” are back, and this time they are forging the signature of Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco to dupe foreigners of money, the BI said yesterday.

In a statement, Tansingco said the BI received a report about an Australian who was asking assistance as his Filipina friend, “Victoria,” was allegedly detained at the Clark International Airport before her supposed departure for Australia.

The swindler, claiming to have been detained for smuggling 18 kilos of alluvial gold bars, sent the Australian a photo of a fake letter allegedly signed by Tansingco.

The BI said the letter stated that Victoria was being held for lacking documents to travel with gold bars and she needed to pay $4,000 for an ownership certificate for the gold bars.

“It’s the same story over and over again for these scammers, but this time they are targeting foreign nationals using Filipinos,” Tansingco said.

He said the BI “has no business inspecting the luggage of travelling passengers. There is a separate government agency for that.”

BI agents, according to Tansingco, are “not authorized to receive money through wire transfers for immigration processes.”