The Philippines Bureau of Immigration recently issued an urgent warning, exposing the appalling human trafficking operations within the scam parks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Four repatriated Filipino victims detailed their horrific experiences of being treated as "commodities" for sale and enslavement by the scam syndicates.
Meticulously Designed Transnational Scam
The four victims, aged between 20-30, were rescued back to the Philippines on April 19 by the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). Investigations revealed that the scam syndicates used social media platforms like Facebook to post fake job advertisements, luring victims to Cambodia with high-paying coding or customer service positions.
"Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, our passports were immediately confiscated, and we were taken to a closed park," one victim recalled, "They forced us to impersonate FBI agents or online lovers, specifically targeting people in Western countries for scams."
Inhumane "Commodification" Operations
The victims' testimonies revealed the shocking operations within the scam parks:
Forced to work 16-20 hours a day
Those who did not meet performance targets faced overtime or physical punishment
Poor performers were "sold" to other scam groups
Opportunities to escape only arose during the chaos of being sold
Joel Anthony Vidal, the Commissioner of the Philippines Bureau of Immigration, expressed his outrage: "These criminal groups treat humans as commodities for sale, completely trampling on basic human rights. This modern form of slavery must be ended."
Government Intensifies Crackdown
The Philippine government has implemented several measures in response:
Strengthening the regulation of overseas employment channels, requiring all recruitment to be legally registered with the Ministry of Labor
Collaborating with Cambodian authorities to combat transnational criminal networks
Investigating recruitment groups suspected of assisting in illegal departures
Commissioner Vidal specifically warned: "High-paying overseas job opportunities on social media that are not verified are very likely traps. Job seekers must obtain employment information through official channels."
This case highlights the severity of online scams and human trafficking issues in Southeast Asia. The Philippine government stated that it will continue to cooperate with the international community to protect the rights of overseas citizens and completely eradicate this transnational criminal industry chain.
