Hundreds of Filipinos Paid Countless Dollars to Canada Recruitment Agency In Job Scam-reports
Hundreds of Filipinos in Canada were scammed by a Vancouver-based recruitment firm after paying countless dollars for expected jobs however were never employed, according to reports.
CBC News Canada and ABS-CBN News reported that The Promise Land Consultancy, owned by Filipino-Canadian Joseph Miranda alias Joseph Powers, apparently promised jobs in Canada to Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad.
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Victims consisted of Marilyn Fernandez Rabadon, a public high school head teacher in Pangasinan, and Marivic Sumawang Pingaron, a caregiver in Tel Aviv.
Rabadon and Pingaron remembered that they were recruited and encouraged by TPLC agents to sign a contract stating that they would pay the firm approximately C$ 12,000 (P496,000) to secure jobs.
They each made a deposit of the equivalent of P150,000 in Canadian dollars.
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Pingaron, who's applying on behalf of her boy, said she paid TPLC over C$ 8,000 (P332,000) in 2 installations. Rabadon, meanwhile, refused to pay more than her preliminary deposit of C$ 4,000 (P166,000).
According to Rabadon, the agreement mentioned that the payment would be refunded if she didn't get a task offer within 5 months.
"Ang lakas ng loob ko na magbigay ng ano kasi anyway after 5 months, mare-refund ko naman," she is estimated as saying.
They demanded a refund when no task provides materialized.
Pingaron became suspicious and requested for a refund when TPLC informed her that to get her boy's Labor Market Impact Assessment, a document that a Canadian employer might need from foreign workers before employing them, she would require to make a 2nd payment.
"Wala po ni piso akong na-refund," Pingaron said.
"Ken," another victim, informed the media outlet that Miranda advised him to go to Canada as a tourist before working for TPLC while awaiting his documents.
Ken stated he satisfied with 14 Filipino tourists whom TPLC had actually likewise hired. A huge portion of their wage as supposed TPLC staff members went back to the business for their retainer charges.
"Ilan po sa amin, mga apat po ata kami, binigyan po niya kami ng task offer na it turns out hindi naman pala valid," Ken stated. (Under Canadian laws, tourists can not operate in the nation otherwise they 'd deal with deportation.)
Ken stated other TPLC applicants paid the business with their life cost savings. Others also took loans.
They attempted to get a refund from TPLC, and when they couldn't, they sought the help of the Migrant Workers Center and submitted charges before the Small Claims Court of British .
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Rozana Solita, a migration expert and previous TPLC worker, stated she was surprised that the business right away hired her upon applying in March 2024.
Solita, who gave up from TPLC after a month, said many candidates were asking her when they would get job offers. She also revealed issue when TPLC allegedly charged applicants a downpayment varying from C$ 2,500 to C$ 3,500 (P103,000 to P145,000).
Applicants were also allegedly asked to sign an agreement that had a breakdown of fees and immigration services. The procedure, nevertheless, only required sending a resume, according to Solita.
Solita said she likewise saw 400 applicant folders dating back to 2023. Even with a "conservative" estimate, she noted that TPLC charged at least C$ 2 million (P83 million) to more than 150 individuals, and gathered at least C$ 500,000. She told CBC News that she believes she was hired as a "front to make themselves look genuine."
Lawsuits
Ken and his companions submitted cases versus TPLC before the Employment Standards Branch for unfair incomes. They likewise submitted cases before the Canada Border Services Agency and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
Criminal cases against Miranda, meanwhile, include fraud, offering immigration services without a license, and unlawful recruitment of foreign nationals.
In a declaration, the CBSA stated it "thoroughly reviews all complaints of criminal activity that may constitute an offense under the Customs Act or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, consisting of those related to Labour Market Impact Assessment scams."
"When we become conscious of scenarios where there are possible infraction of these acts, we investigate and take the appropriate action," it included.
The CBSA likewise asked victims to file problems online through CBSA Border Watch.
According to ABS-CBN News, the TPLC office in Vancouver has actually currently been closed.
The business likewise has a new social networks page called "PLC Global Solutions," which also recruits hopefuls to work in different nations. The page likewise has a brand-new address for TPLC in California.
Ken stated the Migrant Workers Office in Vancouver offered their group a cash help of 1,500 Canadian dollars (P62,000).
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TAGS: work CANADA OFW scam Overseas Filipino Workers The Promise Land Consultancy Joseph Miranda
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NICK GARCIA
Nick blogs about politics, law, health, home entertainment, and popular culture, among others. Outside work, he's a wannabe artist and cook. Email him at nick@philstarlife.com.