METRO
Laos scam hub victims now home
‘Until there are more victims that they can scam and more Filipinos that they can dupe to join their illegal scheme, then this problem can keep on growing’
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reported that its officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 welcomed the three Filipino repatriates from Laos who fell prey to a scam hub operation.
The Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) reported to BI commissioner Norman Tansingco the repatriation of three Pinays last Friday via an AirAsia flight from Vientiane.
Reports said that the three victims admitted that they had been offered jobs as call center representatives, but like other repatriates, they had been forced to work as scammers conducting love scams.
Interpol has expressed concern about the gangs and scammers operating in Southeast Asia that are involved in online romance scam centers, and the Bureau first sounded the alarm about the modus in 2022.
Former victims also recounted how they were forced to use dating services to get Western guys to open fictitious Bitcoin accounts and according to them, they experienced physical assault in the instance that they failed to meet their quota.
According to Interpol, an organized crime group can make up to $50 billion a year, as reported by publications.
“There’s no sign that these traffickers will stop,” said Tansingco. “Until there are more victims that they can scam and more Filipinos that they can dupe to join their illegal scheme, then this problem can keep on growing.”