Phl Embassy in London cautions Filipino community

The Philippine Embassy in London issued on Tuesday an advisory to the Filipino community in the United Kingdom to be vigilant and to exercise due caution in light of the riots that occurred around London and in other UK cities over the past days.

“The Embassy urges all Filipinos to stay away from high street areas, to avoid large gatherings and to avoid joining or going to places of riots or get involved in any public disturbance,” Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Reynaldo A. Catapang said in a Department of Foreign Affairs press release.

The Embassy has also called on the Filipino community leaders and members to contact the local police immediately and/or the Embassy if there are any untoward incidents in their respective areas or to report any information on Filipinos who may have been injured or seriously affected by the riots.

The Embassy remains in close contact with UK authorities and Filipino community leaders and is closely monitoring events and developments.

It has also activated a round-the-clock monitoring team to continuously ascertain the situation.

The Embassy may be contacted at its trunk line 0207451780 or emergency mobile number 07802790695, as well as mobile numbers 07809737672, 07542095133, 07553203793 and 07817479313.

Phl Embassy in London warns anew against dubious online offers

The Philippine Embassy in London has reiterated its warning to Filipinos on dubious online job offers today.

The Philippine Nurses Association-United Kingdom (PNA-UK) reported to the Embassy that the new illegal recruitment scheme involves online job offers sent by email to prospective victims, mainly nurses, who have previously submitted their resumes in public job search websites.

In this new modus operandi, the alleged employer and/or his solicitor (lawyer) sends the victim successive emails containing a job offer, a Contract of Agreement with a very attractive wage and benefits package, a Certificate of Employment, and a blank Certificate of Good Moral Character.

Upon submission of documentary requirements, detailed payment procedures of processing fees via wire transfer are then sent to the victim.

The employer’s solicitor usually identifies him/herself as a member of a prominent legal firm or as an employee of the High Court. In some cases, the employer sends photographs of his family in the UK via email in an attempt to assure the applicant that the process is legitimate.

Once the applicant has paid the fees, the employer and the solicitor terminate all contact with the victim.

This modus operandi is similar to other online scams the Embassy earlier reported involving job offers for nannies, au pair, hotel staff, store managers, salespersons and engineers.

The public is advised to always verify job offers to the UK with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).

They may likewise send a request for job offer verification to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at polo.london@yahoo.co.uk or embassy@philemb.co.uk.