​The Philippine Embassy in Yangon has confirmed the repatriation of nine Filipino human trafficking victims who were rescued from scam hubs in Myanmar. ​The nine individuals had been under the custody of the embassy following raids on scam compounds in Myawaddy in October 2025. ​The embassy, in coordination with Myanmar authorities, facilitated their repatriation on Dec. 28, allowing them to spend the New Year with their families. ​The embassy reiterated its warning to Filipinos wanting to work abroad to exercise vigilance and to refrain from accepting overseas employment offers without first verifying job orders with the Department of Migrant Workers. ​The embassy reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that at least 222 Filipinos, who were rescued from online scam hubs in Myanmar, have sought repatriation. ​It added that 66 of them were reported to have crossed into Thailand, while nine others managed to travel to Yangon. ​Criminal organizations proliferate online “love scams,” which commonly victimize male Caucasians, including Americans. ​ The modus operandi is to create fake online identities to exploit the vulnerabilities of people looking for romance.