More than 1,000 rescued in Pampanga ‘scam call center’

Philippine authorities have rescued over 1,000 people from several Asian nations who were trafficked into the country, held captive and forced to run online scams, an official said Saturday. International alarm has grown in recent months over internet scams in the region often staffed by trafficking victims tricked or coerced into promoting bogus crypto investments. Michelle Sabino, a spokeswoman for the Philippine national police force’s anti-cybercrime group, said officers raided a cluster of buildings Thursday in Mabalacat city, Pampanga, about 90 kilometers north of Manila. A total of 1,090 people were rescued who had been recruited to run online scams….