MANILA: Philippine police raided a Chinese-run scam centre in the capital Manila on Thursday (Aug 22), arresting dozens of Filipino and foreign workers who allegedly tricked people into investing in a “manipulated” trading platform.
Police said the centre was operating in the guise of a licenced online gaming company, which President Ferdinand Marcos banned last month over the industry’s links to scams, kidnapping, human trafficking and murder.
Among the 67 foreigners arrested during the pre-dawn raid on an office tower in the metropolis were 58 Chinese nationals, plus people from Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam. There were also 32 Filipinos.
The owner and manager of the facility – both Chinese nationals – were among those arrested, police said in a statement.
Police said the centre was running a “crypto-currency investment scam” and “love scam”, with employees posing as wealthy models who would “entice” victims to invest in a “manipulated” trading platform.
The Filipinos arrested told police they were forced to work as scammers, the statement said, without specifying what would happen to them if they refused.
Some employees worked as models who were made to “dress in a seductive manner” and engage in “lascivious conduct” to help lure prospective victims, the statement added.
