The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Berne cautions our kababayans residing in Switzerland and Liechtenstein of a modus operandi regarding immigration and visa-related fraud.
INTERPOL has received several complaints regarding the said modus operandi.
The scam is perpetrated by persons posing as immigration law firms, visa travel companies, organizations or even as official government agencies and offer professional support to individuals intending to immigrate, study, reside or work in another country.
The methods that they employ include calling the victims on their phone, sending e-mails or letters that include counterfeit application forms and routing them to a fake, look-alike website under their control.
The victims are persuaded to pay fees up to the equivalent of USD 10,000 in local currency in advance, via money transfers into an individual's personal bank account for the supposed ''processing'' of their papers.
Our kababayans are therefore advised to take preventive and precautionary measures to avoid being victimized and to report similar incidents to the local Swiss or Liechtenstein police authorities, Interpol, or by contacting the Philippine Embassy at telephone number: +41 31 350 1717 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for possible assistance.
