Filipino workers in Hong Kong are urged to be wary of online appeals for donations after a Facebook post reporting the death of a Filipina domestic worker went viral.
The Facebook post named a domestic worker had allegedly died and included details of a bank account into which donations could be deposited, hongkongnews.com.hk reported.
The warning was issued on Tuesday by an official at the Philippine Consulate General. The official looked into the case and found that the worker named in the appeal was alive and still working in Hong Kong.
The official said he had even talked to the domestic worker’s father in the Philippines, who had heard of the appeal and was concerned for his daughter.
The official warned that overseas domestic workers who post fake information and then accept donations can be charged with deception under Hong Kong’s theft ordinance and shall be liable on conviction to 10 years’ imprisonment.