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 company after paying thousands of dollars for expected jobs but 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, supposedly promised 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 caretaker in Tel Aviv.

Rabadon and Pingaron recalled that they were hired and persuaded by TPLC agents to sign an agreement stating that they would pay the firm approximately C$ 12,000 (P496,000) to secure tasks.

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 kid, said she paid TPLC over C$ 8,000 (P332,000) in 2 installments. Rabadon, on the other hand, 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 refunded if she didn't get a job deal within 5 months.

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

They demanded a refund when no task provides emerged.

Pingaron ended up being suspicious and asked for a refund when TPLC informed her that to get her son'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, told the media outlet that Miranda prompted him to go to Canada as a tourist before working for TPLC while waiting on his papers.

Ken said he consulted with 14 Filipino travelers whom TPLC had also employed. A huge chunk of their income as expected TPLC employees returned to the business for their retainer costs.

"Ilan po sa amin, mga apat po ata kami, binigyan po niya kami ng task offer na it ends up hindi naman pala legitimate," Ken stated. (Under Canadian laws, travelers can not work in the country otherwise they 'd deal with deportation.)

Ken said other TPLC applicants paid the company with their life savings. Others also took loans.

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

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Rozana Solita, a migration consultant and former TPLC employee, stated she was shocked that the business immediately hired her upon using in March 2024.

Solita, who quit from TPLC after a month, stated a lot of candidates were asking her when they would receive task offers. She likewise expressed issue when TPLC apparently charged applicants a downpayment varying from C$ 2,500 to C$ 3,500 (P103,000 to P145,000).

Applicants were likewise apparently asked to sign an agreement that had a breakdown of costs and immigration services. The procedure, however, just required submitting a resume, according to Solita.

Solita said she likewise saw 400 candidate folders dating back to 2023. Even with a "conservative" quote, she noted that TPLC charged a minimum of C$ 2 million (P83 million) to more than 150 people, and gathered a minimum of C$ 500,000. She told CBC News that she believes she was worked with as a "front to make themselves look legitimate."

Lawsuits

Ken and his companions submitted cases against TPLC before the Employment Standards Branch for unjust earnings. They also submitted cases before the Canada Border Services Agency and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

Criminal cases versus Miranda, meanwhile, include fraud, using immigration services without a license, and prohibited recruitment of foreign nationals.

In a statement, the CBSA said it "carefully evaluates all problems of criminal activity that may make up an offence under the Customs Act or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, including those associated to Labour Market Impact Assessment fraud."

"When we end up being conscious of situations where there are possible violation of these acts, we examine and take the suitable action," it included.

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

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

The business also has a brand-new social media page called "PLC Global Solutions," which also recruits hopefuls to operate in different nations. The page also has a brand-new address for TPLC in California.

Ken stated the Migrant Workers Office in Vancouver gave their group a money assistance of 1,500 Canadian dollars (P62,000).

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TAGS: OFW scam Overseas Filipino Workers The Promise Land Consultancy Joseph Miranda

NICK GARCIA

Nick discusses politics, law, health, home entertainment, and popular culture, to name a few. Outside work, he's a wannabe musician and cook. Email him at nick@philstarlife.com.