Hundreds of Filipinos in Canada were scammed by a Vancouver-based recruitment company after paying countless dollars for expected jobs but were never ever hired, 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, apparently guaranteed jobs in Canada to Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad.

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

Rabadon and Pingaron recalled that they were recruited and persuaded by TPLC agents to sign an agreement stipulating that they would pay the company up to C$ 12,000 (P496,000) to secure jobs.

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, stated she paid TPLC over C$ 8,000 (P332,000) in two installments. Rabadon, on the other hand, declined to pay more than her preliminary deposit of C$ 4,000 (P166,000).

According to Rabadon, the contract mentioned that the payment would be refunded if she didn't get a task deal within 5 months.

"Ang lakas ng loob ko na magbigay ng ano kasi anyhow after 5 months, mare-refund ko naman," she is priced quote as saying.

They demanded a refund when no task provides materialized.

Pingaron became suspicious and asked for a refund when TPLC informed her that to get her boy's Labor Market Impact Assessment, a document that a Canadian company might need from foreign employees before hiring them, she would need to make a 2nd payment.

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

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

Ken stated he satisfied with 14 Filipino travelers whom TPLC had actually also hired. A big portion of their income as supposed TPLC staff members went back to the business for their retainer charges.

"Ilan po sa amin, mga apat po ata kami, binigyan po niya kami ng task offer na it turns out hindi naman pala valid," Ken stated. (Under Canadian laws, tourists can not operate in the nation 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 sought the aid of the Migrant Workers Center and filed charges before the Small Claims Court of British Columbia.

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Rozana Solita, a migration expert and former TPLC worker, stated she was shocked that the business instantly employed her upon using in March 2024.

Solita, who stopped from TPLC after a month, stated many candidates were asking her when they would receive task deals. She also revealed concern when TPLC supposedly charged applicants a downpayment ranging from C$ 2,500 to C$ 3,500 (P103,000 to P145,000).

Applicants were also apparently asked to sign a contract that had a breakdown of costs and migration services. The procedure, nevertheless, only needed sending a resume, according to Solita.

Solita stated she also saw 400 candidate folders going back to 2023. Even with a "conservative" quote, she noted that TPLC charged at least C$ 2 million (P83 million) to more than 150 individuals, and collected at least C$ 500,000. She told CBC News that she thinks she was employed as a "front to make themselves look genuine."

Lawsuits

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

Criminal cases against Miranda, on the other hand, include scams, providing immigration services without a license, and prohibited recruitment of foreign nationals.

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

"When we end up being conscious of scenarios where there are possible infraction of these acts, we investigate and take the suitable action," it added.

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

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

The business also has a brand-new social networks page called "PLC Global Solutions," which also recruits hopefuls to operate in different countries. The page likewise has a brand-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: employment CANADA OFW fraud Overseas Filipino Workers The Promise Land Consultancy Joseph Miranda

NICK GARCIA

Nick blogs about politics, law, health, entertainment, and pop culture, to name a few. Outside work, he's a wannabe artist and cook. Email him at nick@philstarlife.com.