MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) welcomed 24 Filipinos repatriated after being rescued from online scam hubs in Cambodia.

The group, composed of 9 males and 14 females, arrived on August 23 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via a Philippine Airlines flight from Phnom Penh. They were assisted upon arrival by the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The victims said they were recruited through social media with promises of employment as customer service representatives and a monthly salary of USD 1,500. They recounted, however, that they only received around USD 300 and were forced to work as love scammers in catphishing syndicates targeting European men.

They also described being subjected to punishments such as squatting exercises and verbal and physical abuse when they failed to meet quotas. Most of the victims departed the country as tourists, with one leaving with his entire family for a supposed five-day holiday in Bangkok before proceeding to Cambodia to work in the scam hub. Several said they were later sold to other companies, likening their experience to modern-day slavery.

In a related incident, BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) reported intercepting two more victims on August 24 who attempted to board an Air Asia flight to Thailand. The two initially claimed to be tourists but later admitted they were promised jobs as encoders abroad. Authorities believe they were recruited by the same syndicate.

Victims in similar cases have been promised jobs in Thailand but were diverted to Cambodia, Myanmar, or Laos. The intercepted passengers have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned aspiring overseas workers against falling for illegal recruitment schemes, noting that traffickers exploit social media and messaging apps. He added that at least two recruiters are under investigation by IACAT, and authorities are examining whether certain personnel were in connivance with them.

“These syndicates prey on Filipinos’ hopes for a better life abroad, but what awaits them is abuse, slavery, and despair. We urge everyone: do not gamble your safety on promises of easy money or quick deployment. The government under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is serious in protecting Filipinos from these exploitative networks, and we will not stop pursuing traffickers and their cohorts,” Viado said.