29-10-2023 (MANILA) The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has reported a distressing incident involving three Filipino nationals who fell prey to a suspected syndicate operating in Myanmar, preying on unsuspecting Westerners.
The victims, all male and aged between 20 and 30, were lured into what they believed to be legitimate employment as call center agents in Thailand, all via the social media platform Facebook. The BI issued a statement on October 28, shedding light on this unfortunate turn of events.
Upon their arrival in Thailand, the three individuals found themselves in a bewildering situation. They were promptly “fetched by a van and transported to Mae Sot, Thailand, to cross the border into Myanmar by boat.” It was at this point that they began to realize the sinister nature of the operation.
Once in Myanmar, their roles took a dark turn as they were coerced into becoming “love scammers targeting Americans and Europeans,” attempting to convince these individuals to invest in counterfeit cryptocurrency accounts. Their grueling workdays extended to a staggering 18 hours, without any respite. The victims were subjected to physical punishments in the form of push-ups and jump squats if they failed to meet their quotas, and their access to personal mobile phones was closely monitored by their supervisors.
Only after the victims paid a hefty sum of P90,000 to the syndicate were they finally released from their harrowing ordeal.
The victims returned to the Philippines on October 27, arriving via a Philippine Airlines flight from Bangkok, according to information provided by the BI.
