Philippine authorities repatriated 24 citizens from Cambodia after they were recruited by fake job advertisements and forced to work in online 'crypto love scam' operations. Officials say recruits were used to build romantic trust with foreign victims and steer them into bogus crypto investments and gambling links, and that intelligence sharing with international partners is being increased.

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration reported the repatriation of 24 Filipino nationals who were lured abroad by fraudulent job advertisements and coerced into working in transnational 'crypto love scam' rings based in Cambodia. Authorities said the recruits, many in their 20s, were tasked with cultivating romantic relationships with foreign victims through messaging and video calls to gain trust before directing them to sham cryptocurrency investment platforms or gambling sites designed to steal money. Investigators described recruiters as exploiting tourism and irregular migration pathways to move recruits across borders, and noted patterns consistent with trafficking for exploitation rather than conventional employment. The Bureau and partner agencies coordinated to locate and repatriate the victims and referred them to social services and shelter providers for medical, psychological, and legal assistance. Officials emphasized stepped-up intelligence sharing with international counterparts and urged the public to be wary of high-pay job offers requiring travel or remote account access. Law enforcement warned that romance narratives are increasingly blended with crypto schemes, complicating victim identification and prosecution of transnational facilitators.