DFA Statement on Illegal Scam Centers in Mainland Southeast Asia

MANILA 16 July 2025 – The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to receive reports of alleged Filipino Human Trafficking Victims (HTVs) still trapped inside different scam centers in Southeast Asia.

In response, the DFA works with its Foreign Service Posts, especially in Mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR and Cambodia), to persistently devote efforts and resources in extending all possible assistance to our Filipinos in distress, while requesting the authorities of the host countries for their invaluable cooperation.

We remain committed to the rescue and repatriation of all Filipino HTVs that are working in illegal call centers in the region. We call on all our kababayans, including our Filipino communities abroad, to support all efforts to prevent all modes of recruitment and victimization of our Filipino nationals in schemes that lead to forced criminality and participation in scamming operations. 

In particular, relatives of Filipinos who wish to provide verified information on their kin that they believe may be trapped in scam hubs in the vicinity of the Myanmar-Thai border may  reach out to the Philippine Embassies in Yangon and Bangkok through Yangon PE’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) hotline (+95 998 521 0991), email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or through the official Philippine Embassy in Myanmar Facebook Messenger, and Bangkok PE’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) hotline +66 81989 7116 or email through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Philippine government further wishes to reiterate its advice to all Filipinos to pass through the proper deployment procedures established by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and other concerned agencies, prior to departing the country for overseas employment. END