PHL officials in Riyadh warn against fake embassy staff

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (shutterstock)

MANILA — Philippine officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has warned the public to transact only with legitimate personnel of the embassy as some individuals claiming to be employees of the chancery have allegedly extorted money from Filipinos in exchange for passport services and repatriation.

The embassy issued the advisory Thursday after complaints surfaced against three fake embassy identified as: Lucy Grace Paala, Benedict Dayag and Cedrick Fernandez.

“They are not employees of the embassy nor its attached agencies,” the embassy said.

Filipinos in Saudi Arabia were reminded that every consular service provided by the embassy is issued with a corresponding official receipt and service numbers.

Saudi Arabia has the highest concentration of Filipinos in the Middle East, with over one million workers employed as skilled workers and professionals.