2 foreigners nabbed for luring Pinays to love scam operations

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Two foreigners were arrested in Manila for allegedly recruiting three Filipinas to work as virtual assistants but instead forced them to work in love scam operations.

In Jun Veneracion’s report on Monday’s “24 Oras”, a team from the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) conducted the arrest of the suspects, a Taiwanese man and his Malaysian partner, at a condominium in Malate, Manila.

The two men are being accused of the illegal detention of the three women inside the condo who were later rescued.

The National Capital Region office of the PNP-CIDG said they received information that the spouse of one of the victims no longer had any contact with his wife, prompting them to launch the arrest.

Police Colonel John Guiagui, CIDG-NCR Regional Chief, said one of the victims was able to contact her husband via cellphone and told him her location and situation.

Investigation revealed the suspects would lure their victims with the promise of work as virtual assistants via a messaging app.The promised salary ranged from US$400 to 500 with an additional $100 as incentive for perfect attendance.

Once the victims arrived at the condo, they said they were forced by the suspects to memorize scripts that turned out to be part of a love scam. After their training, the victims said they would be sent to staff hubs in the Visayas.

Guiagui said they are now gathering information to locate the said hubs and rescue the other victims.

The two foreigners were charged with violating the Expanded Anti- Trafficking in Persons Act, serious illegal detention and grave coercion.

GMA News is attempting to get comments from the two suspects who are now in the custody of the Manila Police District. —RF, GMA News