The Philippine Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain issued an urgent advisory on Monday, Jan. 19, warning the Filipino community against a new wave of fraudulent activities involving scammers posing as embassy personnel.
The embassy reported that unidentified individuals have been using the official Philippine government seal on WhatsApp accounts to gain the trust of victims.
These scammers allegedly contact Filipinos via phone calls and messages, demanding money in exchange for “Assistance-to-Nationals” (ATN) services.
“The Embassy has received a report that these individuals are using the Embassy emblem on WhatsApp accounts to appear legitimate and extort money,” the advisory read.
In response to the reports, the embassy clarified that it never solicits payment for ATN services, which are provided free of charge by the Philippine government.
Officials emphasized that the embassy will never request money transfers through unofficial channels or personal accounts.
The public is urged to exercise caution and verify the identity of anyone claiming to represent the mission.
Official communications from the embassy are conducted through verified hotlines and its official social media pages: “Philippine Embassy in Bahrain” on Facebook and “@phlinbahrain” on Instagram.
For those requiring urgent assistance or wishing to report suspicious activity, the embassy provided the following hotlines:
• Consular Services: +973 3995 3235
• MWO (Assistance-to-Nationals): +973 3303 5600
• OWWA: +973 3725 8755 or +973 6670 5058
The warning follows similar alerts issued in recent months by Philippine diplomatic missions in the Netherlands, Singapore, and Canada regarding the rise of digital fraud targeting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
