At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. ARCHIVE

A Filipino woman was intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 after falling victim to a P120,000 scam promising illegal assistance to work abroad. The 27-year-old, identified only as "Amy," was stopped by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers on January 2 while attempting to bypass immigration inspection under the pretense of being a tourist bound for Bangkok, Thailand. Chief of the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section, Mary Jane Hizon, disclosed that Amy was apprehended after failing to present her passport and boarding pass. She told officers that these documents were held by a man she met at a restaurant near the terminal, whom she had paid for immigration escort services. "Amy presented a photo of her passport and boarding pass, which upon inspection, bore a counterfeit immigration stamp," Hizon said. Amy revealed she had been lured by a Facebook post advertising fake airport escort services. She transferred payments amounting to P120,000 (Dh7,564) via online banking and handed her travel documents to the man. Shortly before her supposed boarding time, she was instructed to rush to the boarding gates, where she was intercepted by immigration officials. Investigations uncovered that Amy’s supposed contact blocked her messages after receiving payment, leaving her stranded and without her documents. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed concern over the case, suggesting it might be linked to a mail-order bride syndicate. "Her admission that she was meeting a man she didn’t know in Bangkok raises serious red flags," Viado said in a statement. "This highlights the dangers of illegal schemes preying on vulnerable individuals seeking better opportunities abroad." Amy has been referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance, as authorities work to identify the culprits behind the scheme. Meanwhile, the BI urged the public to exercise caution and follow legal processes for working abroad to avoid falling victim to scams. ICA/Expat Media ALSO READ: NAIA mulls changes to passenger screening NAIA's P8,000 VIP access fee explained
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