PH Police Raid Chinese-Run Scam Center That Forced Employees to Engage in “Lascivious Conduct”

August 28, 2024 Philippines Crime & Legal

Philippine authorities conducted a major raid on August 22, 2024, targeting a Chinese-operated scam center in Manila. During the pre-dawn operation, police arrested 67 foreign and local workers who were allegedly involved in defrauding individuals through a “manipulated” trading platform.

The facility was masquerading as a licensed online gaming company, based on an AFP report published by The Manila Times.

This sector was banned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July 2024 due to its association with various criminal activities including scams, kidnappings, human trafficking, and murder.

Among those arrested were 58 Chinese nationals, along with individuals from Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Additionally, 32 Filipinos were apprehended. The center’s owner and manager, both Chinese, were also taken into custody.

Police reports indicate that the scam center was operating two fraudulent schemes: a “crypto-currency investment scam” and a “love scam.” Employees were reportedly instructed to pose as affluent models, luring victims to invest in a “manipulated” trading platform. The statement indicates that some employees were made to “dress in a seductive manner” and engage in “lascivious conduct” to help lure prospective victims.

Some of the Filipino detainees claimed they were coerced into participating in the scams, though specifics on the consequences of refusal were not detailed.

The crackdown comes in the wake of the scandal involving Alice Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. Guo, accused of illegally obtaining Filipino citizenship to run for office and linked to a major scam center, fled the country last month. President Marcos has vowed to pursue those who assisted in her escape, declaring that “heads will roll.”

Authorities suspect that there could be several hundred illegal online gambling operations, beyond the 40-plus officially licensed operators, still conducting scam activities while evading detection by public officials.