4 Pinoys rescued from online scam hub in Cambodia —BI

Four Filipinos who were rescued from an online scam hub in Cambodia have returned safely to the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday. 

The workers were repatriated after falling victim to a job scam that lured them to supposed high-paying jobs abroad. Instead, the victims were employed as scammers in online scam firms in Phnom Penh, according to Mao dela Cruz’s Super Radyo dzBB report.

Three of the victims flew out of the country as tourists while one left through a backdoor exit.

4 na Pilipino na nabiktima ng job scam sa Cambodia, naibalik na ng Bureau of Immigration (BI) sa bansa. | via Mao dela Cruz pic.twitter.com/ygyRhtMHrr

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 16, 2025

The victim, who was from Palawan, said he traveled via boat to Malaysia before arriving in Thailand, Myanmar, and then Cambodia. 

While working, the victims recalled being forced to engage in various online scams, including “phishing scams.” They also experienced maltreatment and were not paid for months. 

BI Commissioner Joel Viado condemned the incident and said the agency will strengthen monitoring in the country’s ports. He also said the BI is now investigating whether any immigration personnel were involved in the backdoor exit of the victim.

Meanwhile, Viado reminded the public to refrain from accepting online job offers and to only transact with licensed agencies. —Sundy Locus/ VAL, GMA Integrated  News