About 60 complainants claiming they were duped by a call center agent who promised them work abroad sought help from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Bacolod City Tuesday night.

CIDG-Bacolod chief, Supt. Julius Ongkiko, said the complainants said they each paid P20,000 in security and cash bond to the suspect, whose name is being withheld pending the filing of charges against him.

Investigation showed that the suspect had been recruiting the victims since August last year and offered them jobs as bellboys, human resource managers, waiters and housekeeping staff members in a resort in Dubai, where his sister is also working.

Ongkiko said the suspect told the complainants that they need to meet Tuesday at his boarding house in Bacolod as their prospectives employer will orient them through a teleconference call about their jobs before their supposed departure yesterday.

He said that the complainants agreed to meet at about 1 p.m. Tuesday but the suspect did not show up and can no longer be contacted.

One of the complainants told ABS-CBN that she trusted the suspect and did not think they are being duped because there were a lot of other recruits.

Ongkiko said that most of the complainants, who are from Bacolod City and neighboring towns and cities, have already resigned from their jobs.

Charges for large scale illegal recruitment are now being readied against the suspect, who is at large.*APN

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