Hundreds of Filipinos paid thousands of dollars to Canada recruitment agency in job scam—reports
Hundreds of Filipinos in Canada were scammed by a Vancouver-based recruitment agency after paying thousands of dollars for supposed jobs but were never 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, allegedly promised jobs in Canada to Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad.
Victims included 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 convinced by TPLC agents to sign a contract stipulating that they would pay the agency up to C$12,000 (P496,000) to secure jobs.
They each made a down payment of the equivalent of P150,000 in Canadian dollars.
Pingaron, who's applying on behalf of her son, said she paid TPLC over C$8,000 (P332,000) in two installments. Rabadon, meanwhile, refused to pay more than her initial deposit of C$4,000 (P166,000).
According to Rabadon, the contract stated that the payment would be refunded if she didn't get a job offer within five months.
"Ang lakas ng loob ko na magbigay ng ano kasi anyway after five months, mare-refund ko naman," she is quoted as saying.
They demanded a refund when no job offers materialized.
Pingaron became suspicious and asked for a refund when TPLC told her that to get her son's Labor Market Impact Assessment, a document that a Canadian employer may require from foreign workers before hiring them, she would need to make a second 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 for his papers.
Ken said he met with 14 Filipino tourists whom TPLC had also hired. A huge chunk of their salary as supposed TPLC employees went back to the company for their retainer fees.
“Ilan po sa amin, mga apat po ata kami, binigyan po niya kami ng job offer na it turns out hindi naman pala valid,” Ken said. (Under Canadian laws, tourists cannot work in the country or else they'd face 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 help of the Migrant Workers Center and filed charges before the Small Claims Court of British Columbia.
Rozana Solita, an immigration consultant and former TPLC employee, said she was surprised that the company immediately hired her upon applying in March 2024.
Solita, who quit from TPLC after a month, said most applicants were asking her when they would receive job offers. She also expressed concern when TPLC allegedly charged applicants a downpayment ranging from C$2,500 to C$3,500 (P103,000 to P145,000).
Applicants were also allegedly asked to sign a contract that had a breakdown of fees and immigration services. The procedure, however, only required submitting a resume, according to Solita.
Solita said she also saw 400 applicant folders dating back to 2023. Even with a "conservative" estimate, she noted that TPLC charged at least C$2 million (P83 million) to more than 150 people, and collected at least C$500,000. She told CBC News that she thinks she was hired as a “front to make themselves look legitimate.”
Lawsuits
Ken and his companions filed cases against TPLC before the Employment Standards Branch for unfair wages. They also filed cases before the Canada Border Services Agency and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
Criminal cases against Miranda, meanwhile, include fraud, offering immigration services without a license, and illegal recruitment of foreign nationals.
In a statement, the CBSA said it "carefully reviews all complaints of criminal activity that may 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 aware of situations where there are possible violation of these acts, we investigate and take the appropriate action," it added.
The CBSA also asked victims to file complaints online through CBSA Border Watch.
According to ABS-CBN News, the TPLC office in Vancouver has already been closed.
The company also has a new social media page called “PLC Global Solutions,” which also recruits hopefuls to work in different countries. The page also has a new address for TPLC in California.
Ken said the Migrant Workers Office in Vancouver gave their group a cash assistance of 1,500 Canadian dollars (P62,000).
