Balitanghali is the daily noontime newscast of GTV anchored by Raffy Tima and Connie Sison. It airs Mondays to Fridays at 11:00 AM (PHL Time). For more videos from Balitanghali, visit http://www.gmanews.tv/balitanghali.
#GMAIntegratedNews #GMANetwork #KapusoStream
Breaking news and stories from the Philippines and abroad: GMA Integrated News Portal: http://www.gmanews.tv Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gmanews Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gmanews Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gmanews
GMA Network Kapuso programs on GMA Pinoy TV: https://gmapinoytv.com/subscribe
00:00The two women in Thailand are under the custody of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, which is prohibited in IA.
00:08According to the authorities, the two could become scammers.
00:12This is the report of Jonathan Andal.
00:18A co-worker from a call center company introduced himself and took a vacation leave to visit Thailand.
00:25But when asked, the answer of the two women in front of the immigration officer in IA did not match.
00:32When they were asked about the basic details about each other and their trip, their answer was a bit confusing.
00:40The truth is that their vacation in Thailand was not really a vacation, but a connecting flight to Laos.
00:47They were just accompanied by a recruiter and were given a pecking document.
00:51They were promised a salary of P50,000 per month as a customer service representative.
00:57The fixer they met online was paid P3,000 to make the documents.
01:03The two women were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.
01:07Immigration said that it is possible for the two to become scammers in Laos, just like what happened to other Filipinos who were rescued there.
01:15They target call center agents or those who have experience in call centers because that is what they will do there.
01:25Seemingly like a BPO, but it's actually a scam hub, scam operations.
01:31If they do not achieve the quota, they are physically tortured, they are not allowed to eat, and they are not paid properly.
01:40This August, more than 70 Filipinos were arrested in almost 800 cyber scam networks on the border of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.
01:51That is different from the case of other Filipinos who were rescued from illegal recruitment in 2024.
01:56Like the two Filipinos who were stopped last March.
01:59For example, Telco employees who are going on vacation in Thailand, but the truth is that when they arrive in Bangkok, they will be taken to Laos.
02:06There, they were also promised a job as a call center agent in a company involved in a crypto investment scam.
02:12The salary is also more than Php 50,000 if it is regular.
02:17The salary of a Filipino who was hired to be a customer service representative but made an online love scammer in Laos is almost the same.
02:25But in the end, he did not receive a salary. He was repatriated in May 2024.
02:31Immigration should remind those who want to work abroad to go through the process with the Department of Migrant Workers and do not believe the rumors on social media.
02:39It really looks like a big syndicate is holding this.
02:42Jonathan Andal reporting for GMA Integrated News.
