On September 28th, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines warned Chinese citizens visiting the Philippines to be aware of the risk of being deceived into kidnapping and extortion.
According to the WeChat official account of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, recently, the Philippine police have uncovered several cases of kidnapping and extortion targeting Chinese citizens. Victims have been successfully rescued, and the suspects have been arrested. The relevant gangs mainly target young Chinese citizens who travel alone. The suspects usually get to know their victims through the internet or by pretending to be acquaintances of the victims. They invite them to the Philippines under the pretext of tourism or business trips, and actively arrange flights and accommodation for them. After the victims arrive in the Philippines, the suspects pick them up and take them to a secret location. Thereafter, they restrict the victims’ freedom, seize their passports, mobile phones, and personal belongings, and extort money from their families. Some victims also face the risk of being involved in human trafficking.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines once again solemnly reminds Chinese citizens who are coming to or living in the Philippines to strictly enhance their awareness of prevention. They should remain highly vigilant against similar online solicitations. Do not accept tickets or accommodation arrangements offered by strangers, and do not disclose their travel plans and personal information to people they meet through the internet. This will help prevent kidnapping and extortion situations, as well as avoid more serious consequences.
In case of an emergency, please contact:
Philippine Emergency Response Number: 911
China Embassy in the Philippines Consular Assistance Phone: 0063-2-82311033
China Liaison Office in Suzhou: Phone: 0063-32-3430008
China's Consulate in Lavaggar provides consular assistance by phone: 0063-9178051226
China’s Consulate-General in Davao's consular assistance phone number: 0063-9271304354
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Global Consular Protection and Service Emergency Hotline (24 hours): 0086-10-12308 or 0086-10-65612308
