Philippine authorities have rescued over 1,000 people who were held captive and forced to commit fraud.
More than a thousand people from several Asian countries have been held captive and forced to participate in online fraud.
A total of 1,090 people has been freed, says Michelle Sabino, spokesperson for the Philippine authorities. The many people had their passports taken away and were forced to work up to 18 hours a day, she says.
The prisoners were taught how to contact strangers and get them to invest in cryptocurrency, by pretending to be interested in a romantic relationship. It is especially people from the USA, Canada and Europe that has been targeted.
At least 12 people suspected of being the masterminds have been arrested. They will be charged with human trafficking, among other charges. Seven of the backers are Chinese, four of them are Indonesian and one is Malaysian.
In the past month, there have been concerns from the international side about scams from the Philippines and neighboring countries.
Most of those who were rescued are Chinese, Filipinos and Indonesians. But among them are also citizens from Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Myanmar, Hong Kong and Nepal.
Source: nordjyske.dk
