Don’t be fooled twice, says Filipina scam victim

 

Beware of refund offers coursed through this email address

If you get told by someone on Facebook that you can get back the money that had been fraudulently obtained from you by presenting a PayMaya account in the Philippines  that should have a substantial sum in credit, think again.

This is the advice of a Filipina domestic helper who narrowly missed being cheated out of her hard-earned salary for the second time, after being convinced by someone she only chatted with on social media that she could recover what she had lost the first time by filing a claim online with a group called “cyber crime report.”

Jenny T. posted on Facebook about the losses incurred by those who put money into a dropshipping company called Seataoo whose license had just been revoked by the US Securities and Exchange Commission when someone with the Facebook name Margaret Laplana sent her a private message asking whether she was a scam victim.

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Jenny replied that she lost money in a student visa scheme promoted by OFW blogger  Bryan Calagui who had also endorsed Seataoo via his Facebook account.

That was when Margaret told Jenny that she also lost money in Seataoo but was able  to recover a bit of it after sending an email to cybercrimereport3@gmail.com. She also said she knew of another Filipina named Jenny who also lost money in the Canada student visa offer but was able to get a refund after emailing the same group directly.

The fake PayMaya email address sends messages riddled with grammatical errors

Margaret told Jenny to send a refund request to the email address she mentioned as it was already midnight and not a lot of people would be emailing to file a similar claim.

Jenny did as told and almost immediately received a reply from “Pay Maya Help Support,” saying the case she had complained about, in which she lost about P132,000, had already been reported to them.

She was told that she could get a refund if she had a PayMaya account as that was where her money would be deposited. She was also told to submit evidence of the money she lost.

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Jenny immediately downloaded the PayMaya app and sent the receipt for the money she sent to the company that enticed her to apply for a student visa to Canada.

Friday morning Jenny received another email saying she could get P80,500 refund but she needed to show that she had at least P40,500 as “show money” in her PayMaya account. At the same time, she was told to send them her one-time password to her account so she could  supposedly get a reference number. The catch was, she had to deposit the required amount to her PayMaya account in 5 minutes to get her money.

As she had no means or funds to make an immediate transfer to the account, she asked Margaret for advice, and the latter readily showed her how she can send money from different payment platforms to PayMaya. Jenny balked, saying she needed the HK dollars that were in her account here.

As it was already morning, Jenny thought of consulting a chat group comprising other complainants in the alleged student visa scam and she was immediately told to stop communicating with Margaret and those offering her refund through email as they were obviously scammers.

She was also told to check the emails sent to her through “cybercrimereport3” and “PayMaya Help support” and note the badly constructed and ungrammatical messages sent to her, obviously in haste.

Other people in the chat helped check the email addresses she used in pursuing her claim, and showed her they were not connected with the PayMaya online payment platform, nor is there a group called Cyber Crime Report that offers refund to scam victims.

It took awhile for Jenny to accept  that she almost got scammed again, but after reviewing all her communications with Margaret and the people behind the pretend refund platforms, she began seeing all the red flags that should have put her on guard. Her resolve grew when she checked Margaret’s Facebook profile and saw that it was locked.

Someone called Margaret Laplana on Facebook initiated the refund offer

But all these came too late in preventing her from falling for yet another racket.

Early this year, a friend and a former cricket player approached her to say how sorry she felt upon learning that Jenny had lost a lot of money trying to pursue her dream of going to Canada. To recover her losses, this friend convinced Jenny to download an investment app ran by an Indonesian, where she was supposed to earn huge profits.

Jenny said she rejected the suggestion outright, but when she bumped into her friend in Central last January she was finally convinced to put in her entire monthly salary of $7,000 into the supposed investment scheme.

But no sooner had she done this that her friend told her she had been scammed as well, and that the matter had already been reported to the police. She now avoids talking to Jenny, and acts as if nothing has happened.

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Immigration reiterates warning against llegal work

 

Immigration officers escort one of those arrested

The Immigration Department has reiterated its warning against illegal work after another overstayer was jailed for 14 months for working in a construction site.

The warning came as ImmD reported the arrest of 19 more persons in its territory-wide anti-illegal worker raids, and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force from June 24 to June 27.

The illegal worker, a 28-year-old Pakistani male, was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts last Thursday (June 27) after he pleaded guilty to breaching his condition of stay, doing construction work at residential premises in Sham Shui Po. 

In addition, he was jailed for 14 weeks for one count of overstaying in Hong Kong, but both sentences will run concurrently, making for a total of 14 months' imprisonment.

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He arrived in Hong Kong as a dependant and had overstayed since August 2020.

When he was arrested, officers seized his attendance and salary records as a construction worker during the period that he overstayed, his construction industry safety training certificate, certificate of certified worker and construction workers registration card.

ImmD said that under the Immigration Ordinance, it is illegal “to take employment while being a person who, having been given permission to land in Hong Kong, had remained in Hong Kong in breach of his limit of stay imposed in relation to the permission.” Offenders face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment.

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Meanwhile, in its operations codenamed "Greenlane"," Lightshadow" and "Twilight", ImmD Task Force officers arrested 11 suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers, one suspected aider and abettor and one overstayer in raids on 91 target locations including premises under renovation, residential buildings, restaurants and retail shops.

In joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed “Champion", enforcement officers raided 49 target locations in Hung Hom and Kowloon City and arrested three overstayers.

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Fear of husband's wrath for getting pregnant in HK not enough basis for asylum

 

The Court of First Instance hearings are held at the High Court

Fear of being killed by one’s husband after having a child by another man is not enough reason for a woman to be granted asylum in Hong Kong.

J. Tadiosa, 50, learned this lesson after the High Court refused to review the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board, which upheld the rejection of her non-refoulement claim by the director of Immigration.

The original decision found that Tadiosa’s reason for seeking protection from forced return to the Philippines did not fall under the four accepted reasons for granting asylum: risk of violation of the right to life; risk of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; risk of persecution defined by the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.

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Besides, the decision said, “not seeking protection at the earliest opportunity was also inconsistent with a person who is genuinely in fear of being harmed.”

She appealed the case to the Board, which conducted a hearing that she attended.

“The Board found the applicant untruthful. It noted that she gave unreliable evidence regarding the group that her husband had been involved in. She also gave vague and unpersuasive evidence as to whether she had reported the matter to the police;  the claimed past incidents of physical harm from her husband and the receipt of threatening text messages from her husband. Furthermore, there were inconsistencies in her evidence regarding the timing and the circumstances in which she separated from her husband and the living arrangement of her son. Her explanation as to why she disclosed her extramarital affairs in Hong Kong to her husband was also unconvincing,” the Court of First Instance noted in a decision ordered by Deputy High Court Judge K.W. Lung.

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“It considered that the applicant had fabricated her claims to prolong her stay in Hong Kong and that she would not face a real risk of harm upon return,” the decision added.

The court also noted that Tadiosa “said she understands the Board’s Decision and she is not saying that the Board was wrong, but she wants to stay here for the sake of her daughter, who is studying here.” The daughter was born in February 2005.

Thus, the decision concluded, she “has raised no valid ground to challenge the Board’s Decision.”

Tadiosa arrived in Hong Kong on Oct. 2 1999 to work as a foreign domestic helper.

She overstayed in Hong Kong since Nov. 22, 2003 and was arrested by the Immigration Department on Nov. 27, 2008. Two days later, was convicted for overstaying and was jailed for five months.

Tadiosa filed her claim on Sept. 21, 2009, which was rejected on April 26, 2013. Her appeal was also dismissed on July 7, 2014.

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Elderly told not to skimp on electricity as ‘very hot’ weather forecast to continue

 

About 1,800 elderly seek medical help each day because of the heatwave

The Observatory has warned that the hot spell that has enveloped Hong Kong for the past week will continue this weekend, and could even set a new record for the city’s longest heatwave.

Today’s temperature rose to 33 degrees, which was slightly lower than the 34.4 maximum recorded in the Observatory’s headquarters yesterday, the highest so far this year.

However, the temperature is forecast to climb up to a “very hot” 35 degrees over the weekend, and last for the entire week, potentially breaking the record for the city’s longest heatwave of nine consecutive days recorded in 2016.

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The Very Hot Weather Warning which is issued when the temperature hits 33 degrees or higher, could be extended for a few more days as a result.

The Observatory warned the worst could yet come, as Hong Kong sizzles the most in July.

"Under the background of global warming, we expect the temperature in the summer to rise compared to the past," an Observatory official said. "The general public should take extra precautions against heatstroke."

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Meanwhile, the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association has urged elderly people to keep their homes well ventilated and not to skimp on using fans or air conditioners to save electricity.

If they wish, they could instead go to community public facilities which are air-conditioned if they wish to escape the day’s heat.

Association officials said some elderly people suffering from high blood pressure and heart disease tend to ignore the effects of hot weather, so their relatives, friends and neighbors are urged to look after them.

The elderly should be reminded that they should avoid going out around noon, which is usually the hottest time of the day.

The association’s chief executive officer Maura Wong advised the elderly that if they start feeling dizzy, nauseous, extremely tired or dehydrated they should rest and seek help immediately.

Wong also asked everyone to particularly keep an eye on senior citizens who live alone.

The Association reported that since the first hot weather warning was issued this year, the number of requests for help from the elderly has risen by nearly 20%, averaging more than 1,800 cases per day.

The number of hospitalizations increased by 30% last week, with most elderly people seeking help due to dizziness, headaches, dehydration and other heat-related symptoms.

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DMW endorses illegal recruitment complaints against Mabatid

Vice Consul Gino Soriano administers oath to the HK complainants 

Twelve Filipino domestic workers from Hong Kong claiming to have been victimized by Cebu-based businesswoman Prisca Nina Mabatid and her visa consultancy firm took their oath before Vice Consul George Mariano Soriano at the Consulate last Sunday, June 23, ahead of the expected  filing of their complaint with the Department of Justice in the Philippines.

The 12 are among more than 20 overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong who sought the help of the Mission for Migrant Workers after they were allegedly duped into paying P132,000 each in February 2023 on the pretext that they would be helped to get into Canada to work while on student visas.

Apart from Mabatid, named respondents in their complaint were lawyer Russ Mark Gamallo, her alleged partner in the PCVC/Opportunities Abroad visa consultancy firm, and OFW blogger Bryan Calagui.

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The complainants have submitted sworn statements and various evidence including videos and photos taken during the alleged recruitment drive to the Department of Migrant Workers, which previously sent a team of investigators to Hong Kong to look into their complaints.

With help from the Mission, the complainants have also filed complaints with the Hong Kong Police and the Immigration Department. Consulate officials recently informed the group that their case has already been endorsed by the police to the Department of Justice for the possible filing of charges.

The video-recorded oath-taking was carried out at the request of Migrante International in the Philippines, which is assisting a number of complainants against Mabatid and several other people who allegedly collected no less than P100,000 from each of them, in exchange for the false promise of securing them student visas in Canada.

Mabatid's flyer for her Feb 19, 2023 'orientation' in Hong Kong

One of the cases handled by Migrante involves three complainants, one of whom claims to have been recruited in Oman. Their case has been taken up by the DMW and filed directly with the City Prosecutor’s Office in Cabuyao, Laguna.

Named respondents in their complaint apart from Mabatid were Adam Hechanova, Ma. Teresa Binghay and Jhearlyn Jabellana. The crimes alleged against them are syndicated illegal recruitment under RA 10022 and estafa in relation to RA 10175 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Mabatid did not appear in any of the hearings called by the City Fiscal, and her counsel Glenna Jean Ogan said initially that based on Facebook, the former Cebu City councilor “appears to be in Australia at present.”

In her response to the complaints, Mabatid denied any connection with PinoyCare Visa Center and Opportunities Abroad, the two visa consultancy companies she allegedly used to recruit the complainants to apply for student visas to Canada.

Mabatid claimed she was a legal recruiter, being the owner of Amax Philippines, which is licensed by the POEA or Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

She also asserted that all the cases filed against her were a malicious intent to tarnish her reputation. As to who it could be, she named “a credible source” as saying that the complainants had communicated with The SUN editor and lawyer Daisy Mandap, who she alleged as a “leftist propagator (sic)” who has been targeting her to prevent OFWs from seeking a  better life in Canada.

The next hearing of the preliminary investigation is set for June 13.

Separately, the Department of Justice has started hearing the complaints filed by 12 applicants of PCVC/Opportunities Abroad and endorsed by the National Bureau of Investigation.

Recommended for prosecution for alleged large-scale illegal recruitment, and syndicated estafa under Art 315 par 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code are Prisca Nina O Mabatid, Adam Hechanova, Mark Gamallo, Clint Victor Caingles, Bernie Uy and Clark M. Jueco.

Like in the previous case, the complainants here claim to have been duped by the respondents into paying no less than P100,000 each on the pretext of securing student visas to Canada for them.

The next hearing of the case has been set down for Monday, July1.

Migrante said it has also been informed of the filing of similar complaints against Mabatid in Cebu, but has yet to get details. The DMW in Cebu is also said to be behind the move to get the complaints pursued in court.

Mabatid was a no-show in 3 Senate hearings on massive illegal recruitment 

Earlier, Mabatid was summoned to appear before the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers headed by Senator Raffy Tulfo, to respond to complaints filed by about 100 Filipinos from all over the country who claimed to have been similarly defrauded by her and her group.

Mabatid failed to appear in any of the three hearings called by the Committee, as a result of which she was issued with a “show-cause” order on Feb. 13.

Staff of the Senate Committee have told The SUN that another hearing would be called, but did not specify a date.

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Murder witness fails in bid to appeal asylum rejection

 

The High Court upheld the Board's decision denying the Filipina's claim

A Filipina who claimed to have fled to Hong Kong because she was being hunted by a man she witnessed killing his wife, has failed to convince the High Court to review her application for asylum which had been rejected by the Immigration Department and then the Torture Claims Appeal Board.

Merriam Cantores, 51 years old, “has raised no valid reason to challenge the Board’s Decision,” according to a decision issued by the Court of First Instance last June 24 on order by Deputy High Court Judge K.W. Lung.

As a result, “the Court will not usurp the fact-finding power vested in the Director (of Immigration) and the Board,” it asserted.

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Cantores first arrived in Hong Kong as a visitor on Nov. 29, 2011, and travelled frequently to China to be able to extend her visa until May 2013. After her last arrival on May 16, 2013, she overstayed when her visa expired on May 31, 2013.

She was arrested by police on July 10, 2013.

On March 3, 2014, she applied for non-refoulement, claiming that if she is returned to the Philippines, she would be harmed or killed by a man called Joseph, who was connected to the New People’s Army, because she witnessed him murdering his wife in August 2011.

The Immigration director dismissed her claim, citing a small future risk of harm upon her return to the Philippines, that state protection would be available to her, that she can relocated to another part of the country and that her case failed to meet any of the requirements for asylum seekers such as risk to life, risk of persecution or risk of torture.

Cantores appealed to the Board, but she failed to attend its two hearings, so her appeal was determined in her absence. The Board subsequently upheld the earlier decision.

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Meal discounts of up to 29% to be offered on July 1

 

Food sector representatives announce the Handover freebies (RTHK photo)

More than 2,000 food outlets from eight catering associations - and stores across Hong Kong - will offer discounts to celebrate the 27^th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China on July 1.

The restaurants and food outlets are offering selective deals with prices related to “7” and “1” in line with July 1.

Among the best deals are those offered by the Fullerton Hotel which is slashing 29 percent off meals at all its four on-site restaurants, or at 71 per cent of regular prices, from June 28 to July 7.

Restaurant chain Tai Hing will also offer a 29 percent discount for its entire menu for all dine-in customers on July 1 at all locations, except the one at the airport. 

Café de Coral branches will give the same discount for its winter melon soup dinner set for two and restaurants under Maxim group, for its baked pork chop rice.

Tai Cheong Bakery on the other hand, will sell egg tarts for $7.1 each, from June 29 to July 1.

Among the other participating outlets are Gyu-Kaku, which will offer 29 percent off for its Premium Wagyu 100-minute All-You-Can-Eat Set Dinner, while Chinese teahouses under Fu Lum Group and Sportful Garden will offer a dedicated “handover dinner set”.

The 29 percent discount also applies to all fruit juices at Circle K convenience stores.

Catering sector lawmaker Tommy Cheung said the initiative is not meant to boost sales but to join in the celebration.

"It is not how much business we do. It is contributing so that everybody will be happy come July 1 when you go out to eat,” he said.

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Cheung said it would be difficult for many merchants to offer a 29 percent off the  customer’s entire bill, and still survive.

He also said some shops dare not provide too many special offers since they are still understaffed and laborers imported from the mainland have yet to arrive.

The food industry’s offers are among a range of treats being readied for the Handover anniversary, including free rides on the tram and the Tsim Sha Tsui to Wanchai route of the Star Ferry, and a 73% discount on the Ngong Ping 360 roundtrip standard cabin cable car tickets for children and seniors from June 29 to July 1.

In addition, international tourists can enjoy a free one-way ferry ticket to Macau for a limited time until July 31 – or a bus ticket from Hong Kong International Airport to Macau through the HK-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. The complimentary bus tickets are given away on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, go to https://www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/events/whatson/10293/

For additional information on the Handover freebies that will be on offer in Hong Kong, visit: https://www.hksar27.gov.hk/en/offers.php

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Case of 2 DHs charged with fighting in public ends with bind-over

 

The two protagonists leave court a few meters apart with their own supporters

The case against two domestic helpers who were arrested after fighting in a public market, ended today at Shatin Court, with the prosecution dropping the charges in return for both promising not to reoffend

Acting Principal Magistrate Amy Chan was initially reluctant to approve of the prosecution’s bind-over offer to A. Exconde, 42 years old, and L. Pagurayan, 46, because they appeared without a duty lawyer who could explain it to them.

The two were both charged with fighting in a public place, which is contrary to Section 25 of the Public Order Ordinance, after fighting last May 27 outside the female toilet of the Jubilee Happy Market on Lok King St in Shatin.

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Chan suspended the case’s hearing and sent them to the Duty Lawyer Service of the court. They returned a few minutes later, only for the assigned lawyer to say he could not formally take over their case because they still needed to present some documents.

“It is not in public interest to prosecute you,” Magistrate Chan told Exconde and Pagurayan..

So Chan explained the bind-over arrangement to the two herself, saying it would not leave a criminal record on their history of stay in Hong Kong if they would not reoffend within one year. If they do, they will be fined $1,000 and will be punished for the new offense.

The two accepted.

Chan charged them $500 each as court costs, to be taken from their cash bail of the same amount.

The case was resolved after the prosecutor told Chan that they would offer no evidence and opt for a bind-over, because Pagurayan had promised to pay the $3,000 that she owed Exconde – the main reason for the fight.

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New X-ray machines to speed up security checks at HK airport

 

Airport officials demonstrate how the CT X-rays work (RTHK photo)

From July 2, some passengers flying out of Hong Kong will no longer be asked to take out their electronic devices and liquids from their hand-carried bags as new CT (computed tomography) X-ray machines are installed at the airport.

According to the Airport Authority, the new machines to check luggage will initially be used at four of the 35 screening lanes for people departing from Terminal 1.

Airport officials said the CT X-ray machine can provide 3D image of what’s inside the luggage to help the screening personnel to make a better and quicker decision on whether it is safe to allow the item through.

This is expected to increase the airport’s screening capacity by about 50%, from the current 240 people to 360 people per hour.

At the same time, new full-body scanners will be installed in the lanes with the new CT X-ray machines, for passengers who set off the metal detectors.

Instead of the hand-held scanner used for the second-tier check, the passengers will be asked to go through the full-body scanner, reducing the contact between the person and our security officer.”

Officials said the X-ray machines and full-body scanners will be gradually introduced in all the security lanes in Terminal 1 departure and transit areas within the year. The project is said to cost more than $800 million.

Cordillera art and culture take centre stage in HK trade fair

Young kids show great interest in Cathy Ekid's demonstration of Cordillera weaving

Two events highlighted the participation of creative enterprises from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in the recently-concluded International Culture, Tourism and Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) in Hong Kong.

The first was the Philippine weaving demonstration held on June 22, which caught the interest of many visitors to the fair, including young children.

The second, held the following day, was a presentation that traced the Chinese influence in the artistic heritage of the Cordilleras. Philippine representatives staged the  Cordillera dance and were joined onstage by other exhibitors at the fair.

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Both events which drew large crowds, were held on the main stage of Hall 3 at AWE.

The Philippine participation in the three-day fair was organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center – Hong Kong (PTIC-HK) through its head, Vice Consul Robert Mabalot, Jr. The DTI-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong and Pasa-Kalye Creatives lent support.

Mabalot (in white shirt) with the delegates to the art and trade fair

During the three-day fair, a Philippine booth manned by nine Cordillera representatives showcased the artworks, accessories, apparel and other products of at least 35 Filipino artists and businesses in the creative industry.

According to PTIC, the Philippine participation helped put the country on the map as a prime source of creative goods and services.

“By actively engaging in cultural events like this, the PTIC-HK aims to foster strategic partnerships and connections with key players in the global creative industry sector, said the center.

The 4-paneled Philippine booth showcased the best of Cordillera art and crafts

According to PTIC, thousands of pesos worth of goods were sold by the participating Cordillera businesses during the art and trade fair, and at least one Chinese businessman expressed keen interest in the products displayed.

For more information about the ICTICHE 2024, please visit their official website https://www.hkcultureexpo.com/ or contact the PTIC-HK at hongkong@dti.gov.ph. Or its official Facebook page, PTIC-HK.

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