FACT CHECK: Job posts circulating online are fake – BIR

Claim: The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) posted a job advertisement saying that the agency is hiring 739 new applicants.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-check this: The post was found on the Facebook page “PRC Updates,”which has over 119,000 followers. As of writing, the Facebook post has 18,000 reactions, 18,000 comments, and 32,000 shares. 

According to the Facebook post, high school graduates with relevant vocational courses may apply for an administrative position with a salary of up to P27,000 monthly, while college graduates may apply for other positions with a monthly salary of up to P71,511.

The post also contains links supposedly containing additional details about the job openings. Upon clicking the link, users are redirected to an e-commerce platform and to a website purporting to be from the BIR.

The facts: The post advertising supposed employment opportunities with the BIR is fake. Clicking the link in the post redirects users to an e-commerce platform and to a fake BIR website. The official website of the BIR is www.bir.gov.ph and their official and verified Facebook page is www.facebook.com/birgovph. 

On Friday, July 28, the Presidential Communications Office (PCOO) posted on its official and verified Facebook page refuting the “misleading” BIR job postings circulating on social media.

“The post falsely claims to offer exorbitant monthly salaries, even to High School Graduates, and implies that the job openings are affiliated with the BIR…BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. would like to clarify that the BIR did not initiate, create, nor authorize such job postings, and that they are purely deceptive and fraudulent,” the post read.

The BIR said it is investigating the source of the misleading posts. The bureau also reminded the public to be vigilant and cautious of scams or deceptive practices and to verify information from official sources.

For legitimate information on employment opportunities with the BIR, job seekers may refer to the BIR website which contains a thorough and accurate list of open positions. – Owenh Jake Toledo/Rappler.com

Owenh Jake Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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