MANILA – The United States government has shut down a Telegram channel allegedly used to recruit Filipinos and other foreign workers into scam operations in Cambodia, under the guise of offering high-paying employment opportunities.
According to the US Department of Justice (US DOJ) on Friday, the channel was linked to a scam compound in a rural area of Cambodia near the Thai border, which primarily targets victims in the United States.
The Telegram group, identified as “POGO JOB HIRING 2023,” reportedly had over 6,000 subscribers and posted job advertisements seeking workers willing to relocate to Cambodia. Listings included requirements such as English speakers with “American” accents, night shift availability, and in some cases, preference for attractive female applicants believed to be used in romance-based scams.
The DOJ said that individuals who were recruited and transported to Cambodia were later held against their will and forced to participate in fraudulent schemes.
“In the fraud scheme, victims received cold calls from individuals posing as bank representatives, including impersonators of JPMorgan or other US bank customer service agents, warning them that their bank accounts had been used to purchase firearms from an actual US gun store website,” the DOJ said.
Victims were then allegedly transferred to people posing as law enforcement officers, including “NYPD detectives,” and later directed to fake judicial authorities such as the “New York Supreme Court.” Under pressure through platforms like WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams, victims were coerced into revealing sensitive bank information and transferring their savings to the scammers.
The seizure of the Telegram channel is part of a wider operation by the US-led Scam Center Strike Force, which aims to dismantle criminal networks running scam hubs across Southeast Asia.
In a separate briefing, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced criminal charges and arrest warrants against two Chinese nationals—Huang Xingshan, also known as “Ah Zhe” or “Huang Xing Saan,” and Jiang Wen Jie, also known as “Jiang Nan.” They are accused of managing cryptocurrency-related scam operations at the Shunda compound in Min Let Pan, Myanmar.
Pirro also reported that more than 500 scam-related websites had been taken down, and a reward program was launched for information that could help recover funds tied to the Tai Chang scam center in Myanmar.
“This is not just economic, this involves human trafficking as well as torture. We have seized the sites, and we are coming for the rest,” Pirro said. “These criminals thought they were untouchable because they are overseas. Today, we have proved them wrong, and we're just getting started.”
NPO NEWS TEAM | PNA - PR
