PH reports removal of 250,000 online recruitment scam posts at ASEAN forum

MANILA – The Philippines reported to have helped take down about 250,000 online posts linked to fraudulent overseas job offers through partnerships with social media platforms Meta and TikTok Philippines during the 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labor (AFML) held from Oct. 14 to 15.

In a news release Thursday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said that during the session on emerging trends and challenges in online recruitment held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, countries from Southeast Asia pushed for stronger cooperation against online recruitment scams and other fraudulent schemes targeting migrant workers.

During the session, DMW Undersecretary Darlene Pajarito presented the Philippines initiative, citing the need for governments, social media platforms and other stakeholders to work together to protect prospective migrant workers.

“We cannot work in silos. That’s why we also forged many memoranda of agreement with concerned agencies, published materials for public awareness, and took down fraudulent job posts through our partnership with Meta and TikTok Philippines,” Pajarito said.

The session, moderated by Souksakhone Siharaj, deputy director of Lao PDR’s Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, examined fraudulent job offers, online recruitment platforms and the role of platform regulation in preventing scams.

Geertrui Lanneau, senior regional specialist for labor mobility and social inclusion at the International Organization for Migration’s (IOMs) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, discussed emerging patterns in fraudulent online recruitment.

Khim Sosamrach, director of Cambodia’s Department of Employment and Manpower, meanwhile, presented an overview of online recruitment and job-matching platforms; while David Lam, visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, discussed the role of platform regulation in combating scams.

The forum also tackled migrant workers’ access to protection, support and legal remedies when they fall victim to recruitment fraud and other forms of exploitation.

Kongseng Piengpanya, coordinator of Village Focus International, urged ASEAN stakeholders to turn their discussions into concrete measures to protect vulnerable workers.

“I hope that this 19th AFML will find the good rules, the constructive recommendations, and then lead to actions in the future to provide appropriate protection for migrant workers, who may also be vulnerable to scams,” Piengpanya said.

The forum also reviewed regional efforts to promote safe migration and decent work, with participants calling for sustained cooperation among governments, employers, workers’ organizations and civil society.

Gigi Mathay, deputy general secretary of the ASEAN Trade Union Council, said progress should be measured by improvements in migrant workers’ daily lives.

“Our progress must be measured not by the meetings we hold, but by the tangible improvement in the daily lives of every migrant worker in the region. Let us remember that - Migration is a Human Right. Let's make decent work the reality for all," she said.