MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday warned foreign nationals against a new modus of extortion this holiday season.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said there has been a "mission order" circulating on messaging apps such as Viber and WeChat saying that the agency has authorized its personnel to make a "house-to-house inspection" and raid entertainment places in Manila such as bars, KTVs, restaurants, and hotels.

The mission order is fake, Sandoval said, and meant only to extort money from foreign nationals found in those places.

"Hindi po ito totoo, dahil ang mga immigration personnel po ay maaari lamang manghuli ng isang foreign national kung mayroon pong mission order na issued ang ating commissioner," Sandoval explained during a Laging Handa briefing.

"And ini-isyu lamang po ay itong mission order na ito, kung mayroon pong thorough investigation, nakapag-conduct na po ng thorough investigation and confirmed na mayroon pong illegal alien, may foreign national po doon na may violation ng immigration laws na nandoon po sa lugar na iyon."

The immigration official warned that scammers are employing new tactics, especially this time of the year.

"Marami pong scammers and this is one of the scams na nakikita po natin na nagsisimula. Kaya ngayon pa lang po, as early as now, we are sending information to the public na huwag pong maniniwala," Sandoval said.

She encouraged foreigners who fell victim to the scam to report it to local authorities.

• BI sees no links among personnel to Myanmar trafficking scheme
• MIAA separates entry, exit of employees amid human trafficking reports