Some Filipinos were saved from a horrible situation in Myanmar after being tricked into working for a love scam operation. These victims, who thought they were getting real jobs, were instead forced to scam people online. When they tried to escape, they were tortured, beaten, and even electrocuted.
Tortured and Trapped
Three brave Filipinas—who are using fake names like “Jenny” and “A” to protect their identities—shared their terrifying experience. They showed their arms covered in bruises and wounds, saying their Chinese boss in Myawaddy town hurt them.
Jenny described the worst moment of her life:
Her mouth was taped shut so she couldn’t scream. Her hands were handcuffed and left hanging in the air. Her feet were crossed over in a painful position. She felt so hopeless that she begged the leader to just end her life.
“I even hit my head on the bed because I wanted to die,” Jenny said.
Tricked Into a Scam Job
Jenny and “A” were recruited by a friend last year, thinking they would work in a call center in Laos. But when they arrived, they were forced to scam people by pretending to fall in love with them online, then tricking them into fake cryptocurrency investments.
Last September, after a police raid in Laos, their so-called “friend” invited them to move to Myanmar for another job. That’s where they met another Filipino victim, “Rose.”
A Desperate Escape Attempt
The abuse got worse in Myanmar. One day, over 100 workers from different countries—Kenya, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Nepal—decided they couldn’t take it anymore. Together, they made a daring escape.
They ran as fast as they could. When security guards blocked them, they fought back. They reached a tall cement wall and helped each other climb over. But sadly, some were caught.
Jenny shared what happened next:
“The ones who got caught were taken back to a dark room. They beat us badly. We thought that was the end for us,” she said.
Even “A” had lost all hope. “I really thought I would die there,” she said.
The Unexpected Rescue
What they didn’t know was that one Kenyan worker had successfully escaped and told a journalist about what was happening. That journalist alerted Myanmar’s Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a special rescue force.
That very night, their nightmare ended. The soldiers arrived and freed them.
“They told us we would finally go home. It felt like a thorn was removed from our hearts, but we were still scared until we actually left the site,” Jenny said.
Returning Home and Justice for Victims
On February 19, Jenny, “A,” and nine other Filipinos were finally sent back to the Philippines. But there was a shocking twist—one of the people arrested was their own recruiter, the same friend who tricked them into this job.
The Philippine government confirmed that three of the rescued Filipinos were actually part of the scam operation. One of them was arrested immediately at the airport. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) promised to help the real victims recover with medical, financial, and emotional support.
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac assured the public:
“We will go after everyone who helped these criminals!”
Now, the Philippine government is hunting down the masterminds behind these recruitment scams. The rescued Filipinos, who survived unimaginable pain, hope to start fresh and rebuild their lives.
