In the Public Square: POGOs and other scam hubs — what they do and how they do it

MANILA, Philippines – The raid on the POGO in Bamban, Tarlac, which has implicated Mayor Alice Guo has put the national spotlight on human trafficking for forced criminality. Perhaps for many of us just tuning in to this kind of news, we are learning that just in the last few years, thousands of victims in Philippine scam hubs operating under the legal cover of POGOs have been freed. And hundreds of Filipinos trafficked into scam hubs abroad, particularly in Myanmar, have been rescued.

Just what do these scam hubs do, and how do they do it?

In this episode of In The Public Square, Rappler columnist and editorial consultant John Nery is joined by Kissy Sumaylo-Pearlman, the lead researcher of Active Citizenship Foundation’s Stop Scam Hubs campaign; and a Filipina victim of human trafficking who was rescued from Myanmar in 2023.

They discuss victim recruitment and the warning signs to watch out for in order to avoid scam hubs and human trafficking.

Watch the episode here on Wednesday, June 5, at 8 pm. – Rappler.com