BI warns vs. scams with forged signatures of Immigration officials

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the public of extortion schemes allegedly making use of BI officials' names.

According to a statement on Monday, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said he received a falsified document addressed to a resident of Pampanga in April 2025, which bore his forged signature along with the signature of an alleged Immigration officer.

The letter, he said, was written in poor English and contained factual inconsistencies, and referenced a fake case regarding an alleged foreign national detained for unauthorized entry using a private jet from Baghdad.

It also demanded the recipient to stop communicating with the said individual, dropped threats of legal action for money laundering, demanded them to contact an alleged BI officer via Facebook and mobile number, and cited alleged unregistered payments to a bank account.

Viado said that the letter may be a scheme to extort money in a love scam by making victims think their foreign partners are being held by the government, and warned the public to be alert.

“These types of fraudulent documents are used by scammers to create fear and urgency… Let me be clear: the Bureau does not authorize payments through personal accounts, nor do we issue instructions through unofficial channels. Do not fall for these types of scams,” he said. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News