Hundreds of Filipinos Paid Countless Dollars to Canada Recruitment Agency In Job Scam-reports

Numerous Filipinos in Canada were scammed by a Vancouver-based recruitment company after paying countless dollars for supposed tasks but were never ever worked with, 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, supposedly assured jobs in Canada to Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad.

Victims included Marilyn Fernandez Rabadon, a public high school head instructor in Pangasinan, and Marivic Sumawang Pingaron, a caregiver in Tel Aviv.

Rabadon and Pingaron recalled that they were hired and convinced by TPLC representatives to sign a contract stipulating that they would pay the firm approximately C$ 12,000 (P496,000) to protect jobs.

They each made a down payment of the equivalent of P150,000 in Canadian dollars.

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Pingaron, who's applying on behalf of her child, said she paid TPLC over C$ 8,000 (P332,000) in two installments. Rabadon, meanwhile, declined to pay more than her preliminary deposit of C$ 4,000 (P166,000).

According to Rabadon, the agreement mentioned that the payment would be reimbursed if she didn't get a task deal within five months.

"Ang lakas ng loob ko na magbigay ng ano kasi anyhow after five months, mare-refund ko naman," she is quoted as saying.

They required a refund when no task offers materialized.

Pingaron became suspicious and requested for a refund when TPLC told her that to get her child'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 stated.

"Ken," another victim, informed the media outlet that Miranda urged him to go to Canada as a tourist before working for TPLC while waiting on his documents.

Ken said he met 14 Filipino travelers whom TPLC had actually also worked with. A huge chunk of their wage as expected TPLC staff members went back to the company for their retainer charges.

"Ilan po sa amin, mga apat po ata kami, binigyan po niya kami ng task deal na it turns out hindi naman pala legitimate," Ken said. (Under Canadian laws, travelers can not work in the nation or else they 'd face deportation.)

Ken said other TPLC applicants paid the business with their life savings. Others likewise took loans.

They attempted to get a refund from TPLC, and when they couldn't, they looked for the assistance of the Migrant Workers Center and submitted charges before the Small Claims Court of British Columbia.

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Rozana Solita, an immigration consultant and former TPLC worker, said she was amazed that the company immediately employed her upon applying in March 2024.

Solita, who quit from TPLC after a month, said most applicants were asking her when they would get job offers. She also revealed issue when TPLC allegedly charged candidates a downpayment varying from C$ 2,500 to C$ 3,500 (P103,000 to P145,000).

Applicants were also apparently asked to sign an agreement that had a breakdown of costs and immigration services. The treatment, however, only needed submitting a resume, according to Solita.

Solita said she likewise saw 400 applicant folders going back to 2023. Even with a "conservative" estimate, she kept in mind that TPLC charged a minimum of C$ 2 million (P83 million) to more than 150 individuals, and collected a minimum of C$ 500,000. She told CBC News that she believes she was employed as a "front to make themselves look genuine."

Lawsuits

Ken and his buddies submitted cases versus TPLC before the Employment Standards Branch for unreasonable wages. They likewise submitted cases before the Canada Border Services Agency and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

Criminal cases versus Miranda, meanwhile, consist of fraud, offering immigration services without a license, and unlawful recruitment of foreign nationals.

In a declaration, the CBSA stated it "carefully reviews all problems of criminal activity that may constitute an offence under the Customs Act or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, including those associated to Labour Market Impact Assessment scams."

"When we become aware of situations where there are possible offense of these acts, we investigate and take the suitable action," it included.

The CBSA likewise asked victims to submit problems online through CBSA Border Watch.

According to ABS-CBN News, the TPLC workplace in Vancouver has currently been closed.

The company likewise has a brand-new social networks page called "PLC Global Solutions," which also recruits hopefuls to work in various 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 money assistance of 1,500 Canadian dollars (P62,000).

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TAGS: work CANADA OFW rip-off Overseas Filipino Workers The Promise Land Consultancy Joseph Miranda

NICK GARCIA

Nick writes about politics, law, health, home entertainment, and pop culture, amongst others. Outside work, he's a wannabe artist and cook. Email him at [email protected].