Manila: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reported the arrival of 24 Filipinos who were repatriated after being rescued from scam hubs in Cambodia.

According to Philippines News Agency, the BI's Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) stated that the repatriates arrived on August 23 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Phnom Penh. The group, consisting of nine males and 14 females, was rescued with the assistance of the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia after being forced to work in online scam hubs. Upon arrival, they were assisted by the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The Filipinos shared in a statement how they were recruited through social media with promises of employment as customer service representatives and a monthly salary of USD1,500. However, they received only about USD300 and were coerced into working as love scammers in catphishing syndicates targeting male Europeans. They described being subjected to punishments such as squatting exercises and verbal and physical abuse when they failed to meet their quotas.

All of the victims had departed the country as tourists. One individual even left with his entire family, including parents, a sibling, an aunt, and an uncle, for a supposed five-day holiday in Bangkok, only to proceed to Cambodia to work in the scam hub. Several victims also revealed they were later sold to other companies, comparing their ordeal to modern-day slavery.

Meanwhile, the I-PROBES also reported the interception of two more victims on August 24 who attempted to board an Air Asia flight to Thailand. The two initially claimed to be tourists on vacation but later admitted they had been promised jobs as encoders abroad. The BI believes they were recruited by the same syndicate and have turned them over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance.

In similar cases, victims were promised jobs in Thailand but were later forcibly diverted to Cambodia, Myanmar, or Laos. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned aspiring overseas workers against illegal recruitment schemes, noting that traffickers continue to exploit social media and messaging apps to lure victims. The BI stated that at least two recruiters are being investigated by the IACAT for facilitating the departure of the victims and are also investigating whether certain personnel are in connivance with the said recruiters.