MANILA, Philippines — The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Friday cautioned the public from using eight fraudulent eTravel websites that charge passengers fees of P3,000 to P5,000 for what should be free registration.
This comes after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) earlier warned that it has received several complaints from passengers duped by fake eTravel platforms, prompting it to remind the public that eTravel registration is free of charge.
In 2023, BI launched eTravel to reduce paper requirements for inbound and outbound travelers in the Philippines. Its official website is at https://etravel.gov.ph.
The CICC said in an interview with GMA’s Unang Balita that it has identified the following websites as fake:
- https://www.philippines-entrydocs.com
- https://www.sg-travellingdoc.com
- https://www.entrydocuments-ca.com
- https://www.enjoyvisiting-nz.com
- https://www.travel-onlineprocessing.com
- https://www.onlinetravel-application.com
- https://www.ph-discovers.com
- https://www.philippines-vacationsph.com
CICC Executive Director Alex Ramos said that some of the people operating these platforms are based in other countries. "One is in Spain," he added.
Earlier, Norman Tansingco, BI chief, said that BI officers stationed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have received complaints from passengers who were surprised that their eTravel pass could not be recognized by the system.
“It is only when they encounter our officers at the airport that these passengers would realize they have been duped by these fraudsters and scammers in the internet,” Tansingco said according to a state news release.
Information collected by the eTravel platform includes one’s name, birthday, home address, travel destination and other pertinent records needed for integrated border control, health surveillance and economic data analysis.
The CICC is currently looking into having these websites blocked to prevent travelers from mistakenly signing up with them. — Cristina Chi