MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon has reminded Filipinos to be extra cautious in making transactions over the internet with spurious companies and individuals offering employment and issuances of entry and working visas for Portugal.
The Embassy said that there is an increase in the number of Filipinos who have fallen victim to the scheme. It said the victims, who were asked to pay excessive amounts through money transfer, received emails from spurious companies or law firms in Portugal offering jobs and promising them entry/visa permits for employment.
It added that some scammers used the names of reputable companies in Portugal by using information on their websites, but the contact information are replaced with the bogus ones.
"These individuals require payment of fees for Entry Clearance Certificates, International Overseas Employment Certificates (IOEC) and Affidavits of Guarantee Fund, all of which are not required by Portuguese authorities. The IOEC that these individuals are asking payment for is not the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) legitimately issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)," the embassy said.
It added: "The public is hereby advised to exercise due diligence and caution in dealing with unverified parties to avoid being victimized by these scams. Be aware that business companies with international dealings rarely hire employees solely on the basis of curriculum vitae but will always require personal interviews."
The embassy said that Filipinos looking for jobs abroad should avoid job offers from groups or individuals who ask fees for testing or procesing.
"This is a sure sign of a scam," the embassy said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon has been coordinating with the local police authorities and with companies in Portugal to come up with their own public advisories.
Filipinos who wish to work in Portugal or have other transactions (except tourist visa applications which are already handled by the Embassy of Greece in Manila) may contact the Portuguese Embassy in Jakarta through the following contact information:
Embassy of Portugal
Jalan Indramayu No. 2, Menteng, 10310
Jakarta, Indonesia
Phone: +6-221-319-08030 ; +6-221-319-08022
Fax: +6-221-319-0831
E-mail: porembjak@cbn.net.id
porembjak@jakarta.dgaccp.pt
mail@jakarta.dgaccp.pt
The public may also contact the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal at filipinas.emb.lisbon@gmail.com