A tip-off from the Filipino community in Poland led to the closure of an alleged illegal recruitment agency based in Quezon City, Philippines, reports the Manila Bulletin. The shut down was led by personnel from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac identified the recruitment agency as the Tranvia Travel Agency, which he said, was using social media platforms, such as Facebook and WhatsApp to prey on prospective applicants, to lure Filipinos for bogus jobs in Poland. “The agency was operating without the necessary license or authority from the DMW,” said Cacdac.

Based on the investigation, Cacdac said the travel agency was promising jobs for warehousemen, factory workers, and nurses in Poland with prospective monthly salaries ranging from PHP 80,000 (USD 1,424) to PHP 100,000 (USD 1,780). The agency was allegedly charging processing fees from prospective applicants of PHP 200,000 (USD 3,561) to PHP 350,000 (USD 6,232). He added that officers and personnel of Tranvia Travel Agency will face serious charges of illegal recruitment and will be included in the DMW "List of Persons and Establishments with Derogatory Record" and shall be blacklisted from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.