Woman arrested for fraud in employment scam reaching MOP500,000

The Judiciary Police (PJ) have arrested a 50-year-old Filipina woman who runs a Japanese restaurant on Avenida Horta e Costa on suspicion of defrauding 26 Filipino nationals by promising them work and charging fees for blue card processing.

The scam reportedly involved collecting around MOP500,000 from victims before disappearing.

According to the PJ, investigations revealed that the restaurant had only the legally approved quota for foreign employees currently in use and no additional quotas.

“There were no quotas that the detainee could use to apply for the foreign worker permits for the victims involved in the case. At the same time, it was found that the detainee had no records of submitting applications for foreign worker permits on behalf of the victims,” said PJ spokesperson Lei Chi Hou.

“Therefore, there is reasonable cause to believe that the detainee used the restaurant’s current status as a pretext to defraud fellow Filipinos of money.”

The victims, mostly young and middle-aged Filipinos, came forward over the past month through reports to the police.

They initially connected with the suspect via social media platforms and referrals from fellow countrymen.

Each was asked to pay between MOP14,000 and MOP22,000 for the processing of the blue cards, with the suspect issuing receipts and promising to complete the paperwork within two months.

However, the suspect delayed the process, gave various excuses, refused to refund the payments, and eventually cut off contact with the victims.

The PJ recently apprehended the suspect in the Rua do Patane district, seizing a receipt book in her possession She admitted to the fraud, stating that the funds were used for daily restaurant expenses but declined to provide further details.

A TDM report revealed that at least 50 individuals fell victim to the scam. Many paid fees between MOP20,000 and 24,000 to secure jobs but worked for nearly four months without receiving full salaries – or, in some cases, any pay at all.

Some victims even borrowed money from friends to cover these fees in hopes of gaining employment.

Due to the absence of valid work permits or expired visas, several have since left Macau.

“I even went to Thailand while I was waiting for the permit, as my visa was expiring. After the processing of the blue card, I started to work for her, but it turned out that she had not paid us for months of work, sometimes up to 12 hours a day, and even more,” one victim, who is no longer in Macau, told the Times.

According to the PJ, the investigation is still in its initial phase.

“The police do not rule out the possibility that more victims may come forward in Macau. If more victims come forward, we will register them in the official system and carry out further investigations to pursue the matter. We hope to track down relevant evidence and details about whether there are more locations involved,” Lei said.