Fake job ads leading to scam compounds and sexual slavery

Two years ago, May, a single mother, felt overwhelmed after her husband's sudden death. May used a pseudonym for safety reasons. "The debts piled up, and I had to sell the livestock on our farm and apply for any job I could find," she said. This financial strain added to her emotional burden, making her situation incredibly challenging.

May is a Hmong woman from a remote mountainous region in northern Vietnam, one of the poorest areas in the country. This region is also targeted by criminal gangs who seek to exploit isolated communities. At her most vulnerable, May saw an advertisement for work in a factory abroad. The promise of stable income and a better life was alluring, but the reality was far more dangerous.

Her neighbors were wary and introduced May to Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing victims of human trafficking. Thuc of Blue Dragon (also using a pseudonym) said, "I started noticing some red flags in job [opportunities] that seemed too good to be true—high pay but requiring special skills or referral checks." The local anti-trafficking committee, made up of teachers, police, and activists, advised May against applying. Their vigilance and experience in identifying suspicious offers proved crucial in protecting May.

Thuc, as a member of the committee, invited May to a workshop about the risks of human trafficking. Through case studies, May learned how traffickers operate. May believes this intervention saved her from being lured into a scam compound. She also received a cow from Blue Dragon to help her restart her family farm. This practical support was essential for rebuilding her livelihood and ensuring her family's stability.

"This helps families get out of difficulty in a sustainable way, benefiting individual families and the whole community," Thuc said. Blue Dragon's livelihood and education programs in the area also help survivors of human trafficking reintegrate into their communities. These initiatives are vital for long-term recovery and preventing re-trafficking.

The problem of scam compounds is growing across Southeast Asia. Victims trafficked to these compounds are forced to lure others into fraudulent schemes, such as investing in fake cryptocurrencies through romance scams. Romance scams often occur on social media platforms or dating apps, where scammers solicit money after establishing an online relationship with their victims. The sophisticated tactics used by these criminals make it difficult for individuals to discern genuine connections from deceptive schemes.

According to a recent Targeting Scams report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost approximately AUD 210 million to romance scams in 2022. Blue Dragon says they are increasingly concerned about the growing number of women being trafficked into these types of scams. They say many rescued victims also face the risk of being re-trafficked due to a lack of comprehensive support systems in their countries of origin. The need for robust support networks and preventative measures is more critical than ever.

May was fortunate to receive a timely warning, but many others, like Felicia, a 31-year-old singer and model from the Philippines, are not so lucky. Felicia, a widow with two young children, was lured with the promise of a high-paying marketing job in Laos last June. A person claiming to be a fan contacted her on Facebook, offering a job with a monthly salary of 40,000 pesos (approximately USD 1,100), which piqued her interest. Felicia (also using a pseudonym to protect her privacy) said she wanted to work again after dealing with her husband's death. The financial incentive and the desire to provide for her children made the offer irresistible.

She said she was smuggled from the Philippines through three different countries to Myanmar. She said some of the women who had left Manila with her after accepting similar job offers traveled to their destinations by various means of transportation, including cargo ships, taxis, and speedboats. Eventually, Felicia was taken to KK Park in Myanmar, a scam compound. Thai authorities estimate that there are about 40 such compounds along the border region, with approximately 300,000 people involved in scam activities. The scale of these operations and the involvement of numerous individuals highlight the severity of the problem.

She said her employers initially seemed welcoming, but the true nature of the job soon became clear. "I was told to create different Facebook accounts and add photos of [strangers]… to make them look real so that Meta wouldn't block them," she said. "We had to spam clients [victims], act friendly, talk to them, and then secure at least two clients willing to invest in cryptocurrency." The deceptive practices and the pressure to meet quotas created a hostile and exploitative environment.

A Meta spokesperson told ABC that their "policies prohibit content that leads to human exploitation, including content that promotes misleading or fraudulent recruitment." They said that between June and September 2024, they removed 1.1 billion fake accounts and 349 million pieces of "spam content" from Facebook. While these efforts are significant, the sheer volume of fraudulent activity underscores the ongoing challenges in combating online scams.

Back at the compound, Felicia said her boss instructed her to impersonate a wealthy and successful businesswoman. She was also told how to use AI-powered face-swapping software during video calls with victims. Things took a turn for the worse when her supervisor asked her to wear lingerie while talking to some victims. He told her it was "like being a swimsuit model." The pressure escalated when a manager insisted she change her clothes in front of him, despite her protests. "I didn't want to do it, I said I wasn't comfortable, and I kept saying no, but I was told it was just a changing room," she said. The manipulation and coercion tactics used by her employers created an increasingly dangerous situation.

As Felicia began to change, she was sexually assaulted. This horrific experience highlights the extreme vulnerability and exploitation faced by victims in these scam compounds.

Late last year, Felicia found a way to contact her sister, who sought help from the Philippine consulate. Police were called to the building, but as they searched the property, Felicia said her boss moved her and other victims to a new compound. Eventually, a police officer guarding the property accepted a bribe and helped her escape to Thailand. Felicia was reunited with her family and is staying at a hostel run by Global Alms, an Australian anti-trafficking NGO. The bravery and resourcefulness of Felicia, combined with the support of her family and the efforts of anti-trafficking organizations, led to her eventual rescue.

Mechelle Moore, CEO of Global Alms, said her organization regularly receives calls for help from victims through its 24-hour hotline and referral program and works with Thai police to coordinate rescues. "There are loopholes in the system," she said. "Social welfare only operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and they don't have a dedicated after-hours response team." She said the pattern of abuse has changed over the past four years. "Previously, there was an unwritten rule in some compounds—no sexual assault," she said. "But now, the predation has escalated. Men and women are being raped daily by certain Chinese crime bosses, and on top of that, men are roaming the halls looking for women to assault." The evolving nature of these crimes necessitates constant adaptation and improvement in rescue and support efforts.

Ling Li, a human trafficking expert with 10 years of experience, has personally or through referrals to police, helped 200 victims in the past three years. She said victims are often trafficked from Africa to Asia and sold between different organizations running scam operations. "Once the victims arrive, if they fail to meet targets, in many cases, they are forced into some kind of sexual servitude. If they don't perform well, their managers will rape them," she said. The brutal reality faced by these victims underscores the urgent need for comprehensive intervention and support.

Benedikt Hofmann, Deputy Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said authorities often struggle to distinguish between victims and perpetrators in scam centers. "Another challenge is when victims sign 'employment' contracts with a company, and these contracts are then used to argue that it is not a case of human trafficking," Mr. Hofmann said. He added that traffickers often issue fake "employment contracts" to deceive victims and authorities, further complicating the issue. The deceptive tactics employed by traffickers require increased vigilance and sophisticated investigative methods.

Even after being rescued, survivor victims still face challenges. Experts say many victims are treated as illegal immigrants by local law enforcement agencies due to not having passports or valid visas and are forced to navigate complex legal systems that often fail to recognize their victim status. Ms. Li said very few choose to report sexual assault. She said male police officers are often sent to interview victims of sexual assault and often "ask them for details of how they were raped," which makes them "feel ashamed." "This is a systemic problem that requires immediate intervention from governments, NGOs, and local communities to prevent further exploitation," she said. Addressing the systemic issues and providing sensitive and comprehensive support are crucial for the long-term recovery of survivors.

NGOs like Blue Dragon Children's Foundation are helping to fill the support gaps. Blue Dragon says they are receiving more and more calls from family members of victims who have been trafficked to a compound. One of them is Chu, who has been searching for his 20-year-old Vietnamese daughter, Ly, for over a year. Ly (who also asked to use a pseudonym) was trafficked to a compound after befriending a woman on Facebook who offered her a restaurant job in Bangkok. She said she was beaten with cables and metal rods, deprived of food, and threatened with being resold into sexual exploitation for failing to meet targets. Eventually, her captors deemed her unprofitable, and her father was allowed to pay for her freedom. Ly is currently receiving psychological and vocational support through Blue Dragon. "Ly was rescued from hell on earth and is being treated for depression, and with the support of Blue Dragon, she is preparing to attend a vocational training course," Chu said. "Even now, months later, I still wake up in the middle of the night, unable to believe that my child is actually safe." The ongoing support and rehabilitation efforts are essential for helping survivors rebuild their lives and regain a sense of security.