OWWA Issues Warning About Loan Scams

Administrator Rebecca J. Calzado of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is warning the public of a scam presently circulating throughout the OFW Community that asks OFWs to pay a certain amount in exchange of an availment of loan from OWWA.

Labor Attaché Nenita Garcia of POLO-Hong Kong SAR, reported yesterday that their office has been receiving calls from OFWs inquiring about the availment of OWWA loans that require an applicant to deposit One Thousand Hong Kong Dollars (HKD 1,000) in order to release the loan. A similar report has also been received from Labor Attaché Vivian Tornea of POLO-Macau.

OWWA has also detected a Facebook account named OWWA Loan, which has purportedly 58 friends. The bogus account uses the OWWA agency logo as profile picture.

OWWA has already reported the fake account to Facebook Management. Likewise, an announcement/ warning has already been posted at the official Facebook account of OWWA and at www.owwa.gov.ph, the official website of OWWA.

OWWA is reminding all OFWs and the public to be vigilant of scams used by swindlers to deceive people nor to give any information, especially if financial in nature, to unidentified persons. Furthermore, OWWA is advising everyone to transact only with OWWA offices to prevent being victimized by scams. OWWA highly encourages everyone to report suspicious information or transactions through the agency’s 24/7 Operation Center with the following contact details:

Hotline : (+632) 551-1560 or (+632) 551-6641
Text : (0917) TxtOWWA or 0917-898-6992
Fax Number : 891-7601 to 24 or (+632) 804-0638
E-mail : owwa_opcenter247@yahoo.com

Source: www.owwa.gov.ph