Heavier penalty for scamming OFWs sought
SENATOR Robinhood Padilla wants stiffer penalty against investment and online scammers who victimize overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through social media and other online platforms.
In yesterday’s public hearing of the Committee on Migrant Workers, Padilla expressed his support for Senate Bill No. 2078 or the OFWs Financial Literacy Enhancement Act authored by Sen. Raffy Tulfo.
“Maybe what you said Senator (Tulfo) is right, we should have severe punishment for those who do this (scam), because we call them new heroes (OFWs) so, those who defrauded them should have a stiffer penalty,” Padilla said.
Numerous OFWs were victimized by various investment and online scams, exploited and swindled due to lack of financial knowledge.
The proposed measure aims to provide financial literacy training programs for OFWs that are free-of-charge, as a pre-departure and post-arrival seminar in order to promote and develop financial responsibility.
It was learned that the PNP Anti Cybercrime Group confirmed 8,000 complaints of various online scams from victims who lost more than P155 million from January to August this year.
Reports claimed that 8, 609 individuals lost about P155,204,358 to online selling, investment, call employment, loan, package, accommodations and love scams.
