Two Filipinos—one man and one woman—finally came home to the Philippines on Saturday morning after being rescued from a dangerous scam operation in Cambodia.
They were trapped in a “scam farm”—a place where people are forced to trick others online. But thanks to kind and brave people from the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia, they were saved and brought back safely to Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
How Did They Get Tricked?
One of the victims shared that he thought he was going to work at a call center in Thailand, where he’d earn $1,000 a month. But when he arrived, he was brought to Cambodia instead—not to work, but to scam people in fake online relationships, also called love scams.
It wasn’t just scary—it was painful too. He said:
“They wouldn’t let us go home. They told us they would kill us if we reported them because the people in charge were part of a syndicate (a dangerous crime group). Please help us… We just want to go home.”
The victim added that if they didn’t convince enough people to fall for their tricks each day, they would be hurt. Sometimes they were even hit or had their hands pierced.
What made things worse? He was told to target fellow Filipinos working overseas, like in Saudi Arabia. That’s when he knew he couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to escape.
“It hurt, but we couldn’t say no. They punished us when we did.”
How the Rescue Happened
The rescue started when someone shared a video of the victim asking for help. That video made its way to the GMA show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS).
KMJS then gave the video to the right people:
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Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT)
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Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
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Philippine Embassy in Cambodia
Thanks to their teamwork, a rescue mission was quickly planned. And it worked—the two Filipinos were finally saved!
What the Victims Said
The victims were so thankful. One of them said:
“We thank IACAT, the Cambodian embassy, the Department of Justice, and especially KMJS for finding a way to save us from the horrible human trafficking we suffered in Cambodia.”
What Happens Next?
Now that the two victims are safe, they will talk to:
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The Bureau of Immigration
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The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
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And IACAT
These groups will ask questions to understand how the victims were tricked and to help catch the people behind the scam.
