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Public cautioned vs. fake BI social media accounts
MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday warned the public against scammers posing as personnel of the bureau on social media.
Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued the warning amid reports that several scammers on Facebook are using photos and information of its employees allegedly to mislead the public into transacting with them.
“These scammers reportedly disguise as immigration lawyers and legal officers. They create profiles using photos of our employees, their badges, and even the logo of the bureau,” he said in a statement.
The BI chief noted that employees of the bureau are not authorized to coordinate and make transactions outside its facilities and outside office hours.
“There have been reports in the past where fake social media profiles have fueled scams and have gotten people duped out of money. It is illegal to assume the identity of others, more so to demand money from anyone using the government’s name,” he added.
Tansingco also said they have already met with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to discuss these issues as well as other cybercrime concerns that affect BI operations.
For verification and inquiries, he advised the public to call the BI’s hotline at (02) 8465-2400 or reach them through the BI’s official social media page at www.facebook.com/officialbureauofimmigration.