I Feel Guilty For Knowing An Illegal Recruiter

@neildc (17239)
Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
March 19, 2012 8:33am CST
Hiya myLotters and friends! It all started on Facebook. She sent friend request to my wife, and considering they have the same family name, my wife accepted her. So we all turned out to be good Facebook friends, relatives with my wife's father. This December of 2011 or about two years of being friends/relatives, she told us that she needs about 20 persons to fill up vacancies with the mall they are opening coming January of 2012. We looked for interested people to work overseas. So there were applicants, who sent resume and copy of their passport. And from there, I personally do not have any idea what went on with their applications or negotiations. Only this March, first week of the month actually, we came to learn that this friend/relative is not legal and is not authorized to recruit people to work abroad. I just feel sorry for the victims who cashed out thousands of money. Instead of making their lives better, they are now trying to recover their losts. I feel guilty for believing her, and for introducing her to those people. ~~ NEILâ„¢~~
5 people like this
27 responses
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
19 Mar 12
That is sad. It really pays to check into things doesn't it? Alittle research early on can save alot of money and heart ache later on.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
i think that is one mistake of mine, not to research more about that woman. when she said we are relatives by his father and my wife's father, we believed her. but personally, we never met.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Mar 12
Well this is a wake up call and hopefully next time you will do your research and know for sure who you are dealing with.
@rsa101 (37952)
• Philippines
20 Mar 12
That is really tragic knowing that there are people like that. I am sorry that you feel that way but I think for as long as you do not have any direct participation with it then you should not blame yourself from all of those that got victimized. I just hope this woman gets caught and would stop victimizing more people ever again.
@rsa101 (37952)
• Philippines
20 Mar 12
Yeah I can understand how you feel because somehow you have introduced someone and they got victimized. I think FB can be a really dangerous place to accept someone claiming to be your relative. I just think that you will still need of your offline relatives to confirm the identity of this person. But I guess your willingness to report this to the authorities and even the media clears your name.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
i also think about that, FB is somehow a dangerous place to accept people claiming to be relatives. we have tried to confirm the relativity of that person with my father in law and most of the incidents and people that they mentioned are common, things like that. if i can do it personally, i should have done it already. but since the suspect is reported to be somewhere Manila, i could not just fly there but to send messages to the friends in media that i know.
1 person likes this
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
i just can't help to feel the guilt being the bridge between them. but then yes, that's the only part i did, to introduce them. i wanted to help more to capture that fake relative, but the only thing i can do is to bring the matter to the media friends that i know. i heard they are going to report and seek assistance too from the police or the investigation bureau and hope they move faster now before the suspect leaves the country again.
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
20 Mar 12
Uguess you should have investigate the relation ship more down the line to make sure
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
21 Mar 12
nope never can tell who could be a crook thats for sure sorry for you and your family thatthis happened
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
21 Mar 12
we have done that. but whether she is a true relative or not, damage have been done so this is a lesson for all to learn from.
@enavnai13 (509)
• Philippines
21 Mar 12
I feel sorry for those victims and for you, too.. But don't be too hard on yourself.. You were just trying to help.. I guess the only flaw that you got there was trusting someone whom you don't really know.. You didn't mention if you got acquainted personally.. But we can never tell how things would end up.. There are even cases where people get betrayed even by their family members or someone so dear to them.. Let's just hope for the best.. Pray for those people to be able to move forward and for that sick person to be rewarded by karma..
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Mar 12
we really never had the chance to meet personally and frankly i do not what that time to come anymore. i was actually excited to see her in January when she told us she's going to come and see us especially father in law which is the nearest relative.
• Philippines
22 Mar 12
maybe it was just something made up for you to fall into the trap.. but we are just human, we commit mistakes.. so you should not put yourself to blame..
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
23 Mar 12
Its hard sometimes knowing who we can and can't trust. You did not know and you meant well. I can understand feeling bad about it. But you can't change it now. Did you give the police all the information you had on what was going on? Because really you too were just an innocent person swept up in the con and the lies. I hope this person is caught!
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
23 Mar 12
i guess some of the victims had been with the police and told to raise the case to the investigation bureau. i still have to know what went on with their complaint. i hope they will move a little faster to solve the case and jail the suspect.
• United States
23 Mar 12
Sometimes these cases are hard to close because the bad people hide their information and location very well. If there isn't a trail leading back to them, they are almost impossible to find. I hope they made a mistake somewhere so they can be found and taken down!
• Philippines
20 Mar 12
I won't gonna put a blame on you, but I have to admit that you do have a part wherein you can be guilty. It was you who introduced them. I'm not gonna bash you more, but all I can say is that you must not trust anyone just because of the same family name. We can't undone on what had happened but you know learned a lesson.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
21 Mar 12
i know, this is a lesson to all of us.
• Bangladesh
21 Mar 12
you surely are.....
@jazel_juan (15747)
• Philippines
20 Mar 12
oh that is bad then.. sometimes we never know the true intentions of other people. you should really be careful.. and may try to apologize to the people who have endorsed?
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
i feel guilty for introducing them but i have not direct participation with the transactions, what were the procedures, etc. all i can do is help them get to the information of the media where i have a few friends. i heard they headed for the investigation bureau where they seek for assistance.
@fannitia (2167)
• Bulgaria
20 Mar 12
Hi, Neildc, I'm sorry about your situation. I want to tell you too that you should not feel guilty about this. Yes, you have introduced this person to people who got scammed, but they should have been cautious. In my country there are many stories like this one. Illegal companies recruit people to work abroad, they take money from them and after that disappear. But it's clear that those who fall in the trap are too naive. I think that you should report the case to the police.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
21 Mar 12
i learned from the other victims that they already been to the investigation bureau. so days from now, we could learn from them and i will get back here for updates.
@syoti20 (5293)
• Philippines
22 Mar 12
You shouldn't be. The people you recruit must at least make an investigation too or made background search. Many of the people nowadays is looks very trustworthy person. But when you know them better you can see their real bad intentions. At least you learned a lesson. Always remind the people you recruit that they do also their own background check.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Mar 12
first of all, i said this again, we have known each other for almost two years but through facebook only. we never had the chance to meet her personally. she could have totally earned our confidence so she really got us believe her that easy. i could not say i recruited them, i just introduced them to that person and her intention to recruit and the job opportunity. i agree, they should also have done some their own investigation and research about that person and the company, because they were the ones who communicated or negotiated with her. of course if i already have the idea, i have not entertainer her in the first place. i just hope by now, that the investigation bureau is working on the matter of complaints some of the victims raised to their office, and make possible the holding of this culprit from leaving the country again.
• Philippines
20 Mar 12
Oh, i hope you don't do it again,and it is danger to other and also money spending.I hope that a lesson to them that they will be careful in the next time.have a great day
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
of course, if i have the idea that that person is a fake, i will not introduce her to those people. i will be very careful with things like this next time.
@TheIzers (680)
20 Mar 12
Oh man, I just got email from my college friend (who I haven't met for some years), she told me her husband lose $10,000 being scam from working abroad. Those people promise him working at UK but then run with the money. I feel sorry for her. So I kind of understand how those people feel for loosing their money like that. I know you must feel terrible about it since you the one who introduce her to them but this is not your fault and I think those people who lose money understand that. Just show them your support that you are at their side by try to contact her at any chances. Good luck
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
sorry that it also happened to your friend. you could not really help to get mad at those people who scam other people with their money. and to think, there are people who dream of working abroad to make their lives better, borrows money from other people and there it happened. how can they pay it back? i hope they will really understand that my only participation is to introduce them the job. if only i know that it is a fake beforehand, who would like to destroy our selves? so far, i can only think of informing media friends that i know about what happened to them. if they really want to capture the culprit, i guess they have to go to the right people, right agency, like the investigation bureau and the overseas welfare office.
@alnayeem (10)
• Bangladesh
21 Mar 12
These days facebook becomes the fakeook in real terms.Beleiving people you met in facebook would not be wise decision from my poin of view.Hopefully you have not get down deep in to this scam.Surely,those people should be charged by law enforcement policy before they do harm other people.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
21 Mar 12
i hope they get caught soon and put behind bars. i heard from one of the victims that they already went to the investigation bureau to report and file charges against the suspect. another one coming from this area will be leaving tomorrow to seek assistance too from the authorities in the capital.
• United States
20 Mar 12
While I do believe that you should have done a little research into what this friend/relative was offering, you should not blame yourself. You had no idea what they were up to. They invested two years into getting close to you and your wife, building your trust, so it was only natural that you would believe that their intentions were honest. You were only trying to help; help this relative build their "dream" and your friends/acquaintances find a great opportunity for work. Let those who were misled know that you are sincerely sorry and you had no idea, that you too were in fact conned, but do not blame yourself. If you want to help these people who cashed out thousands of dollars for this false opportunity, gather them up and build a lawsuit against the person who deceived you all. Best wishes.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
21 Mar 12
exactly, the trust and confidence with her are there so we believed her. we thought she's really honest to help us. now i say, two years is not really enough to see the true colors of a person. i have already told the people who where scammed to report the matter to the police. they did it and were also told to raise the matter to the investigation bureau. i hope she'll get caught soon before she leaves our country again or scam more people.
• Canada
22 Mar 12
It's peoples like this goal to scam you and people like you, remember you just think you're helping. and they know that. They feed on people who don't know and get their payout.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Mar 12
and that is really not good.
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
20 Mar 12
Oh wow, thats not good at all. I know that you feel guilty about it but you had no idea at all that this person would do that. She used getting close to you and your family. She manipulated your kindness and its is a violation to the sincerity of you all. These people are very good at what they do. So they are pretty craft to get so many people to trust them. Like I said dont take this on your shoulders. Count yourself lucky that you have not received any legal cases against you. I hope that this person is help responsible somehow.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
she really got us to the point that she even offered to use her own money for a few of her recruits. when we told her that my sister in law was also interested, she said she will be included in the processing of the papers. she also offered it to one of our niece. i really feel bad for those who even borrowed thousands for the processing fee that went gone now. now how can they repay what they lend? i could only hope now, that they move faster to get assistance from the police and other agencies to capture the suspect.
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
20 Mar 12
I hate people who profit from scamming other people. I know that it's not your or your wife's fault for that illegal recruiter for being what he is. I wonder if you can give his information to the police? Or post in the internet the name and picture of this person so that he can no longer fool other people. I wonder if the person that you are referring to is the same one that went viral a few weeks ago where this guy recruited so many people in the Visayas area. This illegal recruiter even used another person's name but because of Facebook and the internet, those who were scammed were able to get the real name of the crook. You don't have anything to do with that crook, nor did you benefit from it so there is no need for you to feel guilty. Had you known that that person was a crook, I'm sure you wouldn't have recommended the said job to people you know. You did it out of good will and I hope that the people that you know will also see that you had nothing to do with the criminal activities of that illegal recruiter.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
of course, even if she (actually) is a relative, i will not refer people if i know at hand that she is illegal. her profile picture on Facebook is the same person in real life as affirmed by our contact in Manila. i know about the illegal recruitment here but i am not sure if she is the same person. i am sure the people whom i referred to the job do not blame me or my wife. but i still feel guilty about what happened. besides, they keep sending me text messages and calls asking for assistance. they just want to recover the money they flashed out considering they just lend it from someone and they don't have an idea how to pay it back.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
19 Mar 12
that would be a terrible thing for sure. i would also feel guilty even though you didnt know this person is a con. id sure be careful of anything she/he told me from now on. so sorry Neil.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
guilty feelings and anger too. i want to help the victims capture the suspect so she can pay back their money. if she could not return their money, at least she gets banned from leaving the country and see herself behind bars.
• United States
20 Mar 12
There are alot of scams going on out there and they have come up with more ingenious ways of scamming people out of their money. You had no idea as far as that goes so you should not feel guilty. Just be glad that you did not lose money. It is a shame that others of course did. As long as there are people to scam these types of people will keep on doing it and as the laws abroad are different from ours like in Africa for example, these people are so hard to find and prosecute. I have a brother in law who was scammed just last year by someone who appeared to be a woman and he went her thousands of dollars so that she/he would come to the United States and they could be married. He as you know fell for it hook line and sinker. He sold everything he had and borrowed against his annuity and is now living on a little over 400 dollars a month. He sent these people over 17 thousand dollars. They are good at what they do. There is no doubt about that.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
i could not help but to feel guilty of course i was the bridge for introducing them to each other. i hope they can find a faster way to capture the suspect as in so far as i know, they know the whereabouts of her.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
19 Mar 12
Hi Neil How are you dear? Well, unfortunate thing to happen for sure. And confirms with my belief - Money is a Spoiler. Anyways, right now, I do understand the reasons of you feeling guilty. But then dear, there is not much you can do about it now. You can console yourself telling yourself - you cannot write the destiny of anyone. And I know, words of consolation will not help as knowing you I feel you have a Heart and that is another aspect that it is the people with hearts who suffer more pain. Such people (like the friend) bring a bad name to not only friendship but also to many other things. I hope you come over this pain soon.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
hi thesids. i doing fine so far. thanks for asking. and how about you? that's why i feel guilty about, as i wanted to help them get a better life, they end up in a worse situation instead. it's true that i have no participation in the negotiations but i still feel i am part of it. i know i still can help them so i tried sending messages to the friends i have in the media telling them the story. i guess they need to do their move too, by filing the complaints to the proper authorities. they can still seek assistance from the media which can make the procedure much easier and faster.
• Philippines
19 Mar 12
Maybe you can help those people. You were friends for two years I guess she was able to disclose some personal details about her. Is she missing now and hiding from her obligation? If that is the case, that's really too bad and I understand what you're feeling right now.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Mar 12
by this time, the suspect is still within their sight. i hope the victims can move faster now so she could not escape.