![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaHundreds rescued from love scam centre in the PhilippinesPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime CommissionImage caption, Police rescued hundreds of victims from the centre in Bamban, about 100km north of capital ManilaBy Virma Simonette & Kelly Ngin Manila and SingaporeHundreds of people have been rescued from a scam centre in the Philippines that made them pose as lovers online.Police said they raided the centre on Thursday and rescued 383 Filipinos, 202 Chinese and 73 other foreign nationals.The centre, which is about 100km north of Manila, was masquerading as an online gambling firm, they said. South East Asia has become a hub for scam centres where the scammers themselves are often entrapped and forced into criminal activity.Young and tech-savvy victims are often lured into running these illegal operations, which ranges from money laundering and crypto fraud to so-called love scams. The latter are also known as “pig butchering” scams, named after the farming practice of fattening pigs before slaughtering them. These typically start with the scammer adopting a fake identity to gain their victim’s affection and trust – and then using the illusion of a romantic or intimate relationship to manipulate or steal from the victim. This often happens by persuading them to invest in fake schemes or businesses.Lured and trapped into scam slavery in South East AsiaThe Chinese mafia’s downfall in a lawless casino townThursday’s raid near Manila was sparked by a tip-off from a Vietnamese man who managed to flee the scam centre last month, police said. The man, who in his 30s, arrived in the Philippines in January this year, after being offered what he was told would be a chef’s job, said Winston Casio, spokesman for the presidential commission against organised crime.But the man soon realised that he, like hundreds of others, had fallen prey to human traffickers running love and cryptocurrency scams.Those trapped in the Bamban centre were forced to send “sweet nothings” to their victims, many of whom were Chinese, Mr Casio said – they would check in on their recipients with questions about their day and if and what they had eaten for their last meal. They would also send photos of themselves to cultivate the relationship. Mr Casio said those running the scam centres trapped “good looking men and women to lure [victims]”. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Pig butchering romance scam: Former boss reveals how it is doneOn 28 February, the Vietnamese man escaped the facility by climbing up a wall, crossing a river, and seeking refuge at a farm. The farm owner then reported it to the police. There were signs of torture on the man, including scars and marks from electrocution, said Mr Casio, whose team visited the man early this month.Mr Casio added that several others have tried to escape but were always caught. Police also seized three shotguns, a 9mm pistol, two .38 calibre revolvers, and 42 rounds of live ammunition from the centre.Authorities are still in the initial stages of the investigation as most of those rescued from Thursday’s raid are still “shaken”, he said. In May last year, Philippine authorities rescued more than 1,000 people who were held captive and forced to run online scams inside a freeport zone in Clark, a city also north of Manila – in what remains its biggest bust to date.A UN report last August estimated that hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have been trafficked to Southeast Asia to run online scams.The BBC has previously spoken to people who have fallen victim to these criminal networks. Many have said they travelled to South East Asian countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar in response to job ads and promises of perks. They are trapped once they arrive, and threatened if they refuse to participate in the scams. Escapees and survivors have alleged torture and inhuman treatment.Governments across Asia, from Indonesia to Taiwan, have expressed alarm at the rise in these scam centres. Foreign embassies in countries like Cambodia and Thailand, for example, have issued warnings to their citizens to beware of being lured into scam centres. China issued public rewards for warlords who were running scam centres across the border in Myanmar – these centres were run by Chinese mafia families and targeted Chinese nationals. Many of those arrested have been handed over to China in recent months. Related TopicsAsiaPhilippinesTop StoriesLive. New extremism definition will ‘help us choose friends wisely’ – GoveAbbott hits out at racism in politics after donor rowPublished36 minutes agoDua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline GlastonburyPublished3 hours agoFeaturesHow a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifemanWatch: A rare glimpse inside the hidden village in Korea’s DMZ. VideoWatch: A rare glimpse inside the hidden village in Korea’s DMZThe story of I Will Always Love You, 50 years onReturn hostages at any cost, says Israeli freed from Gaza’I was brought to the UK to work as a slave’Watch: Incident Room – The Royal Photo Re-touchAttributioniPlayerThe British Asians who stood with striking miners’Journalists are feeding the AI hype machine’How Malaysia Airlines came back from twin tragediesElsewhere on the BBCWhat hope is there for Haiti?Gang violence has turned the small Caribbean nation into a “living nightmare”AttributionSoundsDo you really know when historic events happened?Take the mind-boggling time quiz and find outAttributionBitesizeMeet some adorable hamsters from Wales…This family loves Casualty, News, Sport and the odd murder show!AttributioniPlayerNavigating fatherhood, anxiety and the culture warsComedian and fellow podcast star Adam Buxton joins Jon for a special bonus episodeAttributionSoundsMost Read1Boy admits killing schoolgirl at London bus stop2Hundreds rescued from Philippines love scam centre3Drakeford surprised at level of anger over 20mph4Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline Glastonbury5London celeb haunt to open in Yorkshire village6Abbott hits out at racism in politics after donor row7John Lewis back in profit but no bonus for staff8Rosenberg: Russia’s stage-managed election9How a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifeman10Sarah Everard vigil attendee gets £10K Met damages](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/2348/production/_132923090_scamcentre1-edit.jpg)
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaHundreds rescued from love scam centre in the PhilippinesPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime CommissionImage caption, Police rescued hundreds of victims from the centre in Bamban, about 100km north of capital ManilaBy Virma Simonette & Kelly Ngin Manila and SingaporeHundreds of people have been rescued from a scam centre in the Philippines that made them pose as lovers online.Police said they raided the centre on Thursday and rescued 383 Filipinos, 202 Chinese and 73 other foreign nationals.The centre, which is about 100km north of Manila, was masquerading as an online gambling firm, they said. South East Asia has become a hub for scam centres where the scammers themselves are often entrapped and forced into criminal activity.Young and tech-savvy victims are often lured into running these illegal operations, which ranges from money laundering and crypto fraud to so-called love scams. The latter are also known as “pig butchering” scams, named after the farming practice of fattening pigs before slaughtering them. These typically start with the scammer adopting a fake identity to gain their victim’s affection and trust – and then using the illusion of a romantic or intimate relationship to manipulate or steal from the victim. This often happens by persuading them to invest in fake schemes or businesses.Lured and trapped into scam slavery in South East AsiaThe Chinese mafia’s downfall in a lawless casino townThursday’s raid near Manila was sparked by a tip-off from a Vietnamese man who managed to flee the scam centre last month, police said. The man, who in his 30s, arrived in the Philippines in January this year, after being offered what he was told would be a chef’s job, said Winston Casio, spokesman for the presidential commission against organised crime.But the man soon realised that he, like hundreds of others, had fallen prey to human traffickers running love and cryptocurrency scams.Those trapped in the Bamban centre were forced to send “sweet nothings” to their victims, many of whom were Chinese, Mr Casio said – they would check in on their recipients with questions about their day and if and what they had eaten for their last meal. They would also send photos of themselves to cultivate the relationship. Mr Casio said those running the scam centres trapped “good looking men and women to lure [victims]”. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Pig butchering romance scam: Former boss reveals how it is doneOn 28 February, the Vietnamese man escaped the facility by climbing up a wall, crossing a river, and seeking refuge at a farm. The farm owner then reported it to the police. There were signs of torture on the man, including scars and marks from electrocution, said Mr Casio, whose team visited the man early this month.Mr Casio added that several others have tried to escape but were always caught. Police also seized three shotguns, a 9mm pistol, two .38 calibre revolvers, and 42 rounds of live ammunition from the centre.Authorities are still in the initial stages of the investigation as most of those rescued from Thursday’s raid are still “shaken”, he said. In May last year, Philippine authorities rescued more than 1,000 people who were held captive and forced to run online scams inside a freeport zone in Clark, a city also north of Manila – in what remains its biggest bust to date.A UN report last August estimated that hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have been trafficked to Southeast Asia to run online scams.The BBC has previously spoken to people who have fallen victim to these criminal networks. Many have said they travelled to South East Asian countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar in response to job ads and promises of perks. They are trapped once they arrive, and threatened if they refuse to participate in the scams. Escapees and survivors have alleged torture and inhuman treatment.Governments across Asia, from Indonesia to Taiwan, have expressed alarm at the rise in these scam centres. Foreign embassies in countries like Cambodia and Thailand, for example, have issued warnings to their citizens to beware of being lured into scam centres. China issued public rewards for warlords who were running scam centres across the border in Myanmar – these centres were run by Chinese mafia families and targeted Chinese nationals. Many of those arrested have been handed over to China in recent months. Related TopicsAsiaPhilippinesTop StoriesLive. New extremism definition will ‘help us choose friends wisely’ – GoveAbbott hits out at racism in politics after donor rowPublished36 minutes agoDua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline GlastonburyPublished3 hours agoFeaturesHow a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifemanWatch: A rare glimpse inside the hidden village in Korea’s DMZ. VideoWatch: A rare glimpse inside the hidden village in Korea’s DMZThe story of I Will Always Love You, 50 years onReturn hostages at any cost, says Israeli freed from Gaza’I was brought to the UK to work as a slave’Watch: Incident Room – The Royal Photo Re-touchAttributioniPlayerThe British Asians who stood with striking miners’Journalists are feeding the AI hype machine’How Malaysia Airlines came back from twin tragediesElsewhere on the BBCWhat hope is there for Haiti?Gang violence has turned the small Caribbean nation into a “living nightmare”AttributionSoundsDo you really know when historic events happened?Take the mind-boggling time quiz and find outAttributionBitesizeMeet some adorable hamsters from Wales…This family loves Casualty, News, Sport and the odd murder show!AttributioniPlayerNavigating fatherhood, anxiety and the culture warsComedian and fellow podcast star Adam Buxton joins Jon for a special bonus episodeAttributionSoundsMost Read1Boy admits killing schoolgirl at London bus stop2Hundreds rescued from Philippines love scam centre3Drakeford surprised at level of anger over 20mph4Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline Glastonbury5London celeb haunt to open in Yorkshire village6Abbott hits out at racism in politics after donor row7John Lewis back in profit but no bonus for staff8Rosenberg: Russia’s stage-managed election9How a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifeman10Sarah Everard vigil attendee gets £10K Met damages
[ad_1] Young and tech-savvy victims are trapped and then forced into running illegal operations online.
