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The Philippine Embassy in Bahrain has issued an advisory on its social media channels, alerting the community to fraudulent phone calls and messages from individuals falsely claiming to represent it and requesting money.
The alert, posted on Sunday, reminded the community that the embassy would never ask for money through WhatsApp or other unverified channels and urged anyone contacted in this way to report it immediately.
Vice Consul Charlie Florian Prenicolas told the GDN that they received reports of individuals using the embassy emblem on WhatsApp accounts to appear legitimate, attempting to extort money in exchange for Assistance-to-Nationals services.
“We received a case from a person who previously worked for the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain,” he said.
“She was contacted by someone posing as an embassy official requesting money. We informed her that no official had reached out, or ever would, which prompted us to issue this alert to protect others from being scammed.”
He stated that, to date, no Filipinos in Bahrain have fallen victim to such scams. However, the alert was issued to proactively prevent any potential cases.
Mr Prenicolas also noted that similar situations have been reported by other embassies around the world, urging all nationalities to remain vigilant.
“Embassies will never ask for money in this way, especially through unverified channels,” he said. “If anyone claiming to be from the embassy requests payment through informal channels, you should never send money. Immediately contact the embassy.”
He added that even the slightest suspicious activity should be reported.
Mr Prenicolas
“Scams can happen to anyone, so it’s important to stay informed and act promptly,” he said.
The embassy reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its citizens in Bahrain and overseas by keeping them informed about fraudulent activities.
“By working together, we can prevent scams in the future,” said Mr Prenicolas.
Filipino nationals in Bahrain can contact the embassy’s consular hotline at 39953235, the Migrant Workers Office at 33035600, or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration at 37258755 or 66705058.
Official social media channels can also be reached via Philippine Embassy in Bahrain’s Facebook page and on Instagram @phlinbahrain.
The GDN has previously reported about scammers masquerading as friends and family and using targeted social engineering to steal money from unsuspecting victims.
It followed several online reports about fraudsters gathering information on possible victims and researching them beforehand to adopt a more personalised approach to stealing money.
Fraudsters try to convince the victim that they are a friend or family member to gain their trust, and will either say that they need money for something, or will invite victims to a WhatsApp or Telegram group aimed at draining their bank accounts.
Officers in Bahrain have been urging citizens and residents to take the time to question any message they receive, whether it’s through email, social media or WhatsApp.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
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