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1 Numerous Filipinos Paid Thousands of Dollars to Canada Recruitment Agency In Job Scam reports

Numerous Filipinos in Canada were scammed by a Vancouver-based recruitment company after paying thousands of dollars for supposed tasks however were never employed, according to reports.
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CBC News Canada and ABS-CBN News reported that The Promise Land Consultancy, owned by Filipino-Canadian Joseph Miranda alias Joseph Powers, presumably promised jobs in Canada to Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad.

Victims consisted of Marilyn Fernandez Rabadon, a public high teacher in Pangasinan, and Marivic Sumawang Pingaron, a caretaker in Tel Aviv.

Rabadon and Pingaron recalled that they were recruited and encouraged by TPLC representatives to sign a contract stating that they would pay the company approximately C$ 12,000 (P496,000) to protect tasks.

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

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Pingaron, who's using on behalf of her boy, said she paid TPLC over C$ 8,000 (P332,000) in two installations. Rabadon, meanwhile, refused to pay more than her initial 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 priced estimate as stating.

They required a refund when no task provides materialized.

Pingaron ended up being suspicious and requested a refund when TPLC informed her that to get her child's Labor Market Impact Assessment, a file that a Canadian employer might require from foreign workers before hiring them, she would require to make a second payment.

"Wala po ni piso akong na-refund," Pingaron stated.

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

Ken said he satisfied with 14 Filipino travelers whom TPLC had likewise worked with. A big piece of their income as supposed TPLC staff members went back to the company for their retainer costs.

"Ilan po sa amin, mga apat po ata kami, binigyan po niya kami ng job offer na it turns out hindi naman pala legitimate," Ken said. (Under Canadian laws, tourists can not work in the country otherwise they 'd face deportation.)

Ken stated other TPLC applicants paid the business with their life cost savings. Others also took loans.

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

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Rozana Solita, a migration expert and previous TPLC employee, said she was shocked that the business right away employed her upon using in March 2024.

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

Applicants were also supposedly asked to sign an agreement that had a breakdown of fees and migration services. The treatment, nevertheless, just needed sending a resume, according to Solita.

Solita stated she also saw 400 candidate folders dating back to 2023. Even with a "conservative" estimate, she kept in mind that TPLC charged at least C$ 2 million (P83 million) to more than 150 individuals, and gathered at least C$ 500,000. She informed CBC News that she believes she was worked with as a "front to make themselves look genuine."

Lawsuits

Ken and his companions submitted cases versus TPLC before the Employment Standards Branch for unfair salaries. They likewise filed cases before the Canada Border Services Agency and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

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

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

"When we become mindful of scenarios where there are possible offense of these acts, we examine and take the suitable action," it added.

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

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

The company also has a brand-new social networks page called "PLC Global Solutions," which likewise hires hopefuls to operate in various nations. The page likewise has a new address for TPLC in California.

Ken stated the Migrant Workers Office in Vancouver gave their group a money support 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 discusses politics, law, health, entertainment, and popular culture, to name a few. Outside work, he's a wannabe artist and cook. Email him at nick@philstarlife.com.
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