MANILA, Philippines — A suspected human trafficker was intercepted by immigration authorities at Clark International Airport on Christmas morning while attempting to smuggle four Filipino workers to a POGO-like scam operation abroad.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section chief Mary Jane Hizon reported that four victims, all in their 20s, and their 38-year-old female escort were stopped while trying to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Singapore on December 25.

The BI did not disclose the names of the victims and the suspected trafficker.

Initially claiming to be tourists traveling separately, the victims later admitted they were headed to Cambodia for jobs in an online gaming and scam operation. 

Their escort confessed she was acting on instructions from an Indonesian recruiter to facilitate their transit through Singapore before proceeding to Cambodia.

The victims were promised a monthly salary of P60,000 to work as “encoders” but were unaware they would likely be forced into scam hubs, often involved in catfishing schemes.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado explained that catfishing scams involve workers creating fake online identities to lure unsuspecting victims into fraudulent investments or money transfers.

Rising trafficking cases linked to ‘scam hubs’

The Christmas Day interception adds to a worrying trend of Filipinos being trafficked to neighboring countries for illegal online scam operations:

• December 10: A 28-year-old man bound for Thailand admitted he was recruited online to work in Laos.
• December 11: Four individuals claiming to be on a company trip to Thailand revealed they were en route to Cambodia for illegal work.
• December 18: Five travelers attempting to use fake departure stamps confessed they were being smuggled to Myanmar.
• December 21: Separate interceptions at CIA and NAIA Terminal 3 involved individuals recruited for customer service jobs abroad with promised salaries of P50,000.
• December 22: A woman stopped at Mactan Cebu International Airport admitted she was recruited under false pretenses for work in Thailand.

The victims and their escort have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for investigation and legal action against their recruiters.