Filipina claims being harassed over loan she did not take

 

Photo of the paint-smeared flat sent to Girlie's employer

A Filipina domestic helper is going through severe mental stress after she received threatening messages from an unknown person, saying she needed to repay a loan she supposedly took from a trading and lending company in Hong Kong - or be humiliated publicly.

The harassment escalated Saturday, when her employer was sent a picture of a flat splashed with red paint on the outside, a classic debt-collection strategy by triads.

What Girlie (not her  real name) said was most perplexing was that she never took out a loan from the company named by the collector, and never voluntarily shared all her personal  information with anyone,  much less a stranger..”

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The threatening messages were first sent to her on July 30 via messenger by someone using the account name “Jemma Athena”. The message read, “Good day, Miss ----. This is from --- (lending company). I’m looking for your payment. I need your payment today.”

Then ominously, the message sender said that her warrant of arrest would be issued soon, then listed down her complete home address in the Philippines. Girlie hastily blocked the account.

However, her employer was then contacted on WhatsApp by the collector, who sent a message in Chinese, saying “Hello boss, your worker ----- has borrowed money from my company and the due date is 3 days late. Total 6800.”

The number used was 60784543, and the message was accompanied by photos of Girlie’s HKID card, employment contract, and a video of her talking about a loan.

Video of Girlie holding her HKID card sent to her employer

 “Na stress ako kasi, paano nakuha yung documents ko,” said Girlie. (I was stressed out, how did he get hold of my documents?)

But then she said she noticed that someone had managed to open her WhatsApp account, and link it to another number, 56092176. (Nobody picks up the call on either number).

This led Girlie to conclude that her WhatsApp account had been hacked, and all the photos she had stored in her phone, stolen by the hacker or hackers.

After her employer received the photo of the flat splashed with red paint, she and her helper decided to report the incidents to the police immediately.

Yesterday, Girlie said she decided to file a similar report with the Philippine Consulate. She said she wants her fellow Filipinos to be careful in liking or subscribing to certain sites on Facebook, and never click on a link sent to them by strangers.

Collector named 'James' sends text message warning Girlie of public humiliation

Her story calls to mind an advisory addressed to domestic workers and posted by the Consulate in June, telling them not to give any personal details or share photos of their employers and their houses.

The advisory hinted that the helpers had shared with online money lenders not only the personal details of their employers, but also photos. The helpers were also sent a video in which they acknowledged taking out a loan from the company.

The pro-Beijing political party, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and  Progress of Hong Kong, later held a press conference to expose a scam where employers were blackmailed by debt collectors into repaying money supposedly borrowed by their helpers.

The DAB  said around 20 employers had told  them their helpers were tricked into providing personal information while filling out online forms to inquire about loans.

Part of the inquiry required the helpers to provide their employer’s personal details and photos, as well as their bank account information.

The helpers’ bank accounts were then credited with money they did not ask for, with instructions for them to repay at interest rates way above what is legal. When the helpers refused to pay up, their employers were told that AI-generated pornographic photos of them would be published unless they gave in to the demands.

In some cases, the employers’ offices were splashed with red paint..

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Terminated DH tells court she stole food to feed herself

 

Store where theft occurred (Google Maps photo)

A newly-terminated domestic helper accused of shoplifting food items from a store in Causeway Bay pleaded guilty at Eastern Court today, but her sentence was withheld for a background check after she explained that she stole the food for her own consumption.

Principal Magistrate Don So also kept S. Santos in jail custody until the next hearing on Sept. 20  for sentencing, after she asked whether she could be allowed to post bail.

“Stay inside. You get free food,” he told her. “Relax.”

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Earlier, Magistrate So found out, by asking Santos directly, that she was terminated by her employer last Aug. 24.

Santos, 44 years old, told So she has filed a case against her employer at the Labour Tribunal to recover unpaid benefits and the first hearing will be held on Sept. 25.

She added that the Immigration Department has given her until Oct. 1 to remain in Hong Kong to wait for the results of her labor case.

Santos was charged by police with theft after she left a Best Mart store on Lee Garden Road in Causeway Bay without paying for a jar of peanut butter, three packs of fish fillet, and one bag of chocolates, all worth $116.60.

The police complaint also noted that she had no fixed abode.

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Bail more difficult in money laundering cases?

 

Two Filipinas, both domestic helpers, appeared to have encountered resistance to their bid for temporary freedom while facing money laundering charges when they appeared at separate courts earlier this week.

Marivic Millare, 48 years old, was made to post a cash bail of $50,000 when she appeared before Magistrate Tsang Hing-tung at her trial at West Kowloon Courts on Thursday (Sept. 5).

The amount is a little less than the $56,000 minimum salary of a domestic helper for one year.

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The trial will resume on Oct. 3.

Millare’s case arose from the deposits and withdrawals that totaled $454,918.4 in her Hang Seng Bank account between June 12 and July 9, 2019.

She was charged with dealing in “any person’s proceeds from indictable offense.” a violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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At Eastern Court, Michelle Valenzuela, 45, was returned to jail custody after she appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday, Sept. 3, before Principal Magistrate Don So.

Her case, specified in a police complaint filed the day before, was adjourned to Oct. 26.

She was charged with dealing in $131,000, representing proceeds from crime, which flowed in and out of her Hang Seng Bank account between January and March 4, 2020.

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The SUN editor to talk on avoiding the money laundering trap

The poster for the talk

A friend or relative comes to you and borrows your ATM card, saying  a friend has money coming from overseas and does not have his/her own Hong Kong bank account. As a favor, this friend says you would be paid a token fee for allowing access to your bank account for a short period of time.

The next thing you know, the police are at your employer’s door, saying you will be arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

What could have gone wrong? What should you do? Is there a way out of this nightmare?.

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This all-too common scenario among foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong now is the focus of a talk by Philippine lawyer and The SUN editor Daisy CL Mandap, tomorrow, Sept.8, 3-5pm, at Fanny Li Hall of St John’s Cathedral in Central, sponsored by the Mission for Migrant Workers.

The Mission’s general manager, Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, will moderate the talk and provide inputs on an issue that has been plaguing not just Filipinos in Hong  Kong, but the community at large.

Mandap, for her part, will share stories from court cases that The SUN covers on a regular basis, but also from the personal experiences shared with her by Filipino migrants in distress..

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She will explain what constitutes money laundering under Hong Kong laws, and why Filipino migrants charged and convicted of the offence inevitably find themselves being put behind bars.

Her talk will also focus on the various scams being perpetrated on Filipino domestic workers, and how they can avoid falling into this trap.

The talk is open to the public but pre-registration  at telephone number 92021740 is required.

. 

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Asylum seeker jailed 22.5 months for illegal work

 

Two of 8 women arrested in the latest operation are led away for questioning

Another 12 people were arrested in Immigration Department’s anti-illegal work operation over four consecutive days, from Monday to Thursday last week.

Separately, a Vietnamese recognizance holder who was caught doing odd jobs at a wet market stall was meted a relatively harsh sentence of 22 months and two weeks’ imprisonment after trial at Shatin Court on Thursday, Sept. 5.

The 28-year-old woman was arrested on May 7 during a joint operation by Immigration agents and the police in Wong Tai Sin. She was found to have overstayed her visa before seeking asylum.

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The maximum penalty for asylum seekers or overstayers who are caught working illegally is three years’ imprisonment and $50,000 fine.

Meanwhile, in the latest raids, a total of  10 suspected illegal workers and two employers were arrested after a sweep of 24 target locations, including premises under renovation, residential buildings, restaurants and a shopping mall.

The suspected illegal works comprised two men and eight women, aged  22 to 64.  Among them, three were found to be on recognizance, which prohibits them from taking up any work. Two others held forged Hong Kong identity cards.

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The maximum penalty for possessing and/or using a forged HKID card is 10 years in jail and $100,000  fine.

The two suspected employers are both males, aged 33 and 43. Under the Immigration Ordinance, anyone found guilty of hiring illegal workers can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined $500,000.

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Bethune House sends out SOS saying it faces closure because of lack of funds

 

Volunteers help lighten the load of Bethune's clients

One of the biggest and longest-serving shelter home for distressed migrant workers has issued an urgent appeal for financial help, saying it only has enough funds to cover expenses for the next two months.

In a letter sent to supporters and various media outlets, the Bethune House Migrant Workers Refuge through its executive director, Edwina Antonio, said it is launching the “SOS” or “Save Our Shelter” campaign in hopes of raising enough cash to tide it over at least until the end of the year.

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“We humbly appeal to your kindness and compassion to help us raise HK$1 million in order

to sustain our operations until the end of the year,” said Antonio.

 “This would cover rent and utilities for our two shelters and provide food and other necessities such as personal hygiene items, medical needs, visa extension fees, transportation, and documentation during their legal processes.”

Antonio at a  recent fundraising bid for Bethune House

Antonio said Bethune House had counted on receiving “anticipated grants” this year, but these fell through at the last minute.

“Sadly, this reflects the reality that funding opportunities for the welfare needs of distressed migrant domestic workers are indeed wanting in Hong Kong,” Antonio said.

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Bethune House which was established 38 years ago, has been providing not just shelter but also sustenance and moral support to hundreds of migrant women who find themselves homeless, jobless, vulnerable, distressed, or abused while in Hong Kong.

Volunteer case workers accompany the shelter’s clients to police, the court, consulates and other support organizations depending on their needs, so they could get redress for their problems or help them assert their rights.

Clients learn cross-stitch while at the shelter

During the pandemic, Bethune House was among a few organizations that actively supplied affected migrant workers with food, medicines, masks and other needs, and gave them counseling as they faced the prospect of being sent home after getting infected with Covid-19.

Every week, more than five of distressed migrant women seek refuge at the shelter, which is able to accommodate up to 30 women daily and more than 680 annually.

These are women who are facing charges or are seeking just compensation from their employers and are not allowed to take up work, so they rely solely on Bethune House and other charitable groups while awaiting the resolution of their cases.

A few migrants are given shelter while undergoing expensive treatment for an ailment they acquired while working in the city.

Kind-hearted donors footed the bill for this Disneyland visit for clients and volunteers

Here are the ways you can make a donation: to Bethune House:

• To support online: https://donorbox.org/bh-raise-the-roof 

• By Direct Deposit The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge Limited Hang Seng Bank 284-8-241309 HSBC 808-312649-292 

• By cheque Payable to The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, Ltd. All cash donations of HK$100 and above are tax deductible. (We will gladly assist interested donors to set up an autopay system if they wish to do so to become our regular pledgers.)

*By transfer through Alipay by scanning the QR code below: 

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Typhoon signal lowered to 3

 

Day remains overcast despite the lifting of T8 after Yagi's departure from HK

The Hong Kong Observatory downgraded the storm signal to 3 at 12:40 pm today,  as Typhoon Yagi moved away from the territory. It replaced the Storm Signal No 8 which was raised at 6:20pm yesterday, Sept. 5.

According to a government statement, a total of 274 people sought refuge at 30 temporary shelters set up by the Home Affairs Department in various districts.

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As of 12:30 pm today, nine people were injured during Yagi’s onslaught and sought treatment at various public hospitals

The Fire Services Department, the Government's 1823 Call Centre and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department received  a total of 119 reports of fallen trees while the Drainage Services Department received one confirmed case of flooding and another of landslide.

Among the various government offices that resumed operation in the afternoon was the Immigration Department which announced that its headquarters and all branch offices would reopen two hours after the lifting of T8.

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Courts remain closed throughout the day, and the Judiciary said that everyone who was supposed to attend court today should do so at 9:30 on Monday, Sept. 9 which is the next working day. Court and tribunal offices will resume services as usual in the afternoon.

All services provided by public clinics under the Department of Health also resumed two hours after the lifting of T8.

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T8 raised as Super Typhoon Yagi moves closer to HK

Dark clouds hang over Central as of 6:15pm Thursday (HK Observatory photo)

The No 8 signal was hoisted at 6:00pm today, as Super Typhoon Yagi moves closer to the territory.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the No 8 signal, the first to be hoisted this year, is expected to remain in place until at least noon tomorrow, Friday.

Strong winds are forecast to affect many places in the territory, with occasional gale-force winds. The weather will deteriorate progressively tonight.

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Given its present track, and intensity Yagi is expected to remain at super-typhoon force at it skirts around 300 kilometers to the southwest of Hong Kong Friday morning.

Ahead of Hong Kong Observatory’s issuance of the T8 signal, the Education Bureau announced that all evening classes today and day classes tomorrow, will be suspended.

At 5pm, Yagi was tracked at 9.3 degrees north and 114.8 degrees east, traveling at  210 km per hour near the center.

The Observatory said gale-force winds associated with Yagi will cause the weather to deteriorate tonight and tomorrow, with heavy squally showers and thunderstorms.

However, a spokesman said Yagi poses a minor threat compared with previous super typhoons like Mangkhut and Hato. But the shift in wind direction could make people think it is stronger.

At the same time, the very hot weather warning was issued.

Everyone is advised to drink lots of water and remain indoors as much as possible.

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2 drivers charged with wounding, assault

 

Where the alleged offense took place (Google Maps photo)

A Filipino driver walked free on bail of $10,000 from Eastern Court today after the prosecutor asked for an adjournment on a case in which he is accused of wounding a man last May.

Hernal Cuaton, 50 years old, is accused of violating the Offenses Against the Person Ordinance as a result of an altercation last May 13 in front of 10 Canal Road West in Wanchai, in which a certain Robert Ayun was wounded.

The prosecutor asked for an adjournment to wait for the medical report on Ayun and for legal advice from the Department of Justice.

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Principal Magistrate Don So scheduled the next hearing for Oct. 30, and continued Cuaton’s bail terms.

Yesterday (Sept.3), Magistrate So released on no-cash bail another Filipino, M. Petalio, who is charged with common assault on his wife, who was named in the police complaint, at their residence on Fleming Road, Wanchai ,last Sept. 2.

Magistrate So set conditions for the bail, which included Petalio prohibited from going back to their house while the case is pending and contacting his wife, who is the prosecution witness.

So set the next hearing on Sept. 26.

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T8 to be raised at 6:20pm

 

Yagi intensified as it moved closer to Hong Kong 

The Hong Kong Observatory has announced that it will raise T8 at 6:20pm as Super Typhoon Yagi continues to strengthen as it moves closer to the territory  

Classes in kindergarten and special schools were suspended earlier today with Yagi’s approach  

The Observatory raised Strong Wind Signal No 3 at 6:40 pm on Wednesday due to the worsening weather condition.

The Observatory also said a higher signal might be raised, depending on the intensity and the path taken by the typhoon.

As of 11am today, Yagi was estimated to be about 380km south-southeast of Hong Kong.

It is expected to come within 300km of the territory tonight or early Friday as it makes its way towards the mainland .

In the past few hours it was noted to have intensified as it steadily moved westward.

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Local forecast indicate it will strengthen gradually tonight, and could come closest to the territory tomorrow afternoon or evening. It is expected to make landfall in China on Friday  

The Observatory said it recorded more than 9,000 lightning strikes from 10pm to midnight on Tuesday amid an Amber Rainstorm Warning signal due to Yagi’s approach.

Earlier, Severe Tropical Storm Yagi, combined with the effects of “habagat”or monsoon rains, caused widespread flooding and a number of landslides in the Philippines, where it was called Enteng.

Schools and offices were shut for three days, and 15 people were killed and 21 others were reported missing.

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