This Will Be My Last Message | 4

Summary

Scam Factory: Episode 4 - "This Will Be My Last Message"

Release Date: March 3, 2025
Host: Denise Chan | Host/Author: Wondery

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Introduction

In Episode 4 of Wondery's gripping series Scam Factory, titled "This Will Be My Last Message," host Denise Chan delves deeper into the harrowing experiences of individuals trapped within a clandestine operation forcing them to perpetrate scams against unwitting victims. This episode primarily follows the stories of Jella and Charlie, two Filipinas striving to escape the oppressive conditions of the scam factory and the perilous challenges they face along the way.

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Jella's Struggle and Escalating Tensions

The episode opens with Jella, one of the workers in the scam factory, anxiously awaiting the end of her grueling night shift. As the clock approaches 1 AM, her apprehension grows:

[00:40] Jella: "They just said that it was a meeting with the boss, the team leader and the translator."

Jella's fears materialize when the team leader announces a change in the payment structure, tying their meager salaries to their scamming performance:

[02:04] Jella: "If you have five to seven people, scam your salary $700 and if you have a bigger amount like 20,000 AUSD scam, they will give you 1,000 USD salary plus your commission."

For someone as inexperienced as Jella, this shift spells disaster. Her lack of scamming prowess results in diminished earnings and heightened anxiety. The situation deteriorates further when the management introduces harsher punishments for failing to meet quotas:

[03:39] Jella: "They will lessen the food. Like that."

[03:43] Jella: "You will be punished to duck walk inside the field for 20 times."

These threats of reduced food supplies and degrading punishments, such as humiliating duck walks, exacerbate the already tense environment, leaving Jella desperate for an escape.

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Charlie's Desperate Gamble

Parallel to Jella's plight, Charlie grapples with her own mission to rescue her family from the scam factory. From a studio apartment balcony in Bangkok, Charlie contemplates reaching out for help:

[07:52] Colonel Dominador Matalang: "I have to smoke when I'm going to talk to someone or chat someone regarding this."

Determined to secure her brothers' freedom, Charlie connects with Colonel Dominador Matalang, a police attaché from the Philippine Embassy. Their interaction is fraught with tension as Charlie seeks his assistance:

[16:54] Denise Chan: "Charlie had to make a choice. She could clear her conscience or else it was a huge risk."

Charlie faces a moral dilemma: report her involvement in human trafficking and risk implicating herself, or stay silent and watch her family remain captive. The Colonel, recognizing the value of Charlie's insider knowledge, pressures her to cooperate:

[16:36] Police Colonel: "Because my objective is to identify the boss who run the company."

Charlie's decision becomes a pivotal moment, setting the stage for the ensuing conflict and eventual escape attempt.

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The Escape Plan and Execution

As news of an impending transfer to a more secure compound spreads, Jella and her colleagues intensify their search for a way out. During their covert online investigations, they stumble upon the name Colonel Matalang, igniting a glimmer of hope:

[20:03] Jella: "And then right there, we read the name. Colonel Matalang."

Determined to capitalize on this lead, Jella and her group reach out to the Colonel through various social media platforms, eventually establishing a line of communication. The Colonel provides crucial guidance on exploiting the scam factory's vulnerabilities, specifically the existence of complaint desks staffed by local administrators:

[22:27] Jella: "There are people of Myanmar there, Colonel told Jalap."

Armed with this information, the group devises a plan to confront their captors and negotiate their release. However, their attempt is nearly thwarted when the translator inadvertently informs the bosses of their escape plans. In a frantic bid for freedom, Jella and her companions act swiftly, gathering their belongings and preparing to flee:

[25:04] Jella: "I just get all my camera and left all my shoes, my dress, my wallet. Only money that I have. I put it inside my sock. I put it inside my underwear."

Their escape begins under the cover of darkness, meticulously navigating through monitored areas to reach the complaint desk. The tense atmosphere peaks when they face opposition from guards and supervisors attempting to dissuade them from leaving:

[28:09] Jella: "Whatever happens, do not come back to your compound or to your room."

Despite the immense pressure and threats of retaliation, the group's unwavering determination leads to a successful breakout for several members. However, not all escape unscathed, setting the stage for future confrontations.

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Aftermath and Cliffhanger

In the wake of their escape, Jella and the surviving members are divided based on their modes of entry into Myanmar. While some return to Manila safely, others face uncertainty and the looming threat of retribution from the syndicate. Additionally, Charlie, who played a crucial role in orchestrating the escape, finds herself in jeopardy as the syndicate closes in, hinting at escalating tensions in subsequent episodes:

[31:54] Denise Chan: "That's on the next episode of Scam Factory."

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Conclusion

Episode 4 of Scam Factory intensifies the narrative, showcasing the resilience and desperation of individuals trapped in a manipulative and dangerous environment. Through Jella and Charlie's intertwined stories, Denise Chan highlights the complex dynamics of coercion, survival, and the quest for freedom within the sinister world of scam factories. As the series progresses, listeners are left anticipating the unfolding consequences of the characters' daring escape and the looming threats from the powerful syndicate.

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Notable Quotes

1. Jella on Payment Structure:

   "[02:04] If you have five to seven people, scam your salary $700 and if you have a bigger amount like 20,000 AUSD scam, they will give you 1,000 USD salary plus your commission."

2. Threats of Punishment:

   "[03:43] You will be punished to duck walk inside the field for 20 times."

3. Charlie's Dilemma:

   "[16:54] Charlie had to make a choice. She could clear her conscience or else it was a huge risk."

4. Jella's Determination:

   "[25:24] Whatever happens, do not give money."
   &
   "[29:47] The only thing in my mind is I will escape no matter what. I will not come back no matter what."

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Stay Tuned:
Don't miss the next episode of Scam Factory as the story of Charlie's predicament and the consequences of the recent escape unfold. Follow Scam Factory on the Wondery App, Amazon Music, or your preferred podcast platform to continue this riveting journey.

Transcript

[Denise Chan]

Wondery subscribers can binge all episodes of Scam Factory early and ad free. Join Wonder plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Jella kept her eye on the clock, counting down the minutes until 1am and the end of her shift. She couldn't wait to get to bed. Jella and her teammates began to gather their things to leave, but their team leader told them not so fast. Everyone needed to go out to the yard.

[Jella]

They just said that it was a meeting with the boss, the team leader and the translator.

[Denise Chan]

With the boss, the team leader and the translators. This was never good news. Jella and her nine co workers made their way outside. The yard was kind of like a quad on a college campus, except with the guards around, it gave more prison yard vibes. They lined up five in each row. Jella stood at the front of the line. She looked around. Two story concrete buildings all painted in a stark shade of white. Glaring fluorescent lights pouring out of the windows and doors. On the first floor was where they spent long hours, day and night, scamming. On the second was where they slept in cheap metal bunk beds. The roofs were studded with floodlights that only added to the prison feel. She looked down at the concrete beneath her feet. Such a sad contrast to the adventures on Thai beaches she thought she'd be having when she first met Charlie. A hush spread through the group as the boss began to speak. Beside him was a team leader and two translators. The boss started with an announcement. They were changing up the payment structure. It would now be tiered based on how much they were able to scam.

[Jella]

If you have five to seven people, scam your salary $700 and if you have a bigger amount like 20,000 AUSD scam, they will give you 1,000 USD salary plus your commission.

[Denise Chan]

That'd be great if you were good.

[Jella]

At scamming, but if you did not scam you will only get $300.

[Denise Chan]

But if you were like Jella, this was terrible news. Jella was awful at scamming. Like truly awful. She'd never gotten good at the dirty talk. She'd only gotten three clients to take it to video chat, but none of them were successfully blackmailed. She'd been moved over to another group with a new assignment. Scam people into buying things from a fake Amazon store. That hadn't gone any better. So she'd been sent to yet another group. This time someone else was doing the scamming. Jella just served as a warm body on camera for video calls.

[Jella]

Just like to see that you are real you are not fake.

[Denise Chan]

Her co workers would tell her what to say. And using an AI filter to alter her face, Jella would deliver her lines to the target. She didn't like doing this either. And now she was being told that her already meager salary would be tied to her poor performance. Jella's anxiety shot through the roof. But that wasn't all. Her team leaders told them there would be harsher consequences for not meeting quota.

[Jella]

They will lessen the food. Like that.

[Denise Chan]

No quota, no food.

[Jella]

You will be punished to duck walk inside the field for 20 times.

[Denise Chan]

Duck walking? Where grown adults are forced to squat and walk across the field while everyone watched. It was humiliating. She did not want to do this. All Jella could think about was how much she fucking hated this place. How angry she was at Charlie. How desperately she wanted to get out. And then one more update.

[Jella]

They announced that by next month we will be transferring to a different compound.

[Denise Chan]

A different compound? Jella was in a full on panic now as her bosses explained that they were being transferred to another company. This new company operated out of a compound next door.

[Jella]

It was a new built compound. It has another security guard with a bigger fence.

[Denise Chan]

Jella was freaking out. She'd heard rumors about this other compound.

[Jella]

They are hurting. They are paddling the person.

[Denise Chan]

Jella had heard they beat their workers with electric batons and paddles to punish those that didn't meet quota. With her track record, Jella knew she was doomed.

[Jella]

What if I will die here? So I need to leave this compound before we transfer to that compound.

[Denise Chan]

She had to get out of this situation Charlie helped put her in before it cost her her life. Don't miss the Hulu original docu series Devil in the Family. The Fall of Ruby Frankie My wife created a YouTube channel. Thumbs up. Subscribe, but only what we wanted to show. I'm still recording a three part series of that. She said the children were demonically possessed. Get out. That blew. The Ruby crossed the line to psychotic 900 emergency. Open the door. Hulu's Devil in the Family the Fall of Ruby Frankie all episodes now streaming on Hulu.

[Charlie]

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[Denise Chan]

From Wondery. I'm Denise Chan and this is Scam Factory. This is Episode four this will be my last message Charlie stood on the balcony of a studio apartment in Bangkok. She looked down at the 711 and the street vendors setting up shop below. It wasn't even 9 in the morning and it was already almost 90 degrees. A humid 90 degrees. She took another drag of her cigarette.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I have to smoke when I'm going to talk to someone or chat someone regarding this.

[Denise Chan]

This was her Hail Mary, last ditch effort to get herself and her brothers out of this mess with Dev and the syndicate. And this person she was about to chat with had her smoking like a chimney.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

That was nervous. That was nervous.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie was trying to work up the courage to send a message to someone she'd heard about from a co worker.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I don't know what's in her mind really.

[Denise Chan]

On the corporate ladder of the syndicate, Charlie and this co worker sat on the same rung. This woman was the right hand person to one of Deb's colleagues.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

So she said, like out of nowhere, she just sent me a message like that.

[Denise Chan]

The co worker sent Charlie a message telling her about a guy from the embassy. He'd sent a list of Filipinos he knew were inside the compound. He was trying to get them out on behalf of the Philippine government. Charlie didn't know why this woman was telling her this information or if she could trust it, but she knew this could be crucial. So she took the risk and casually tried to draw out as much detail as she could, which is how she got the contact information for Colonel Dominidor Matalang, police attache for the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok. This colonel knew about the compounds, but how much did he know about who was in them and how they'd gotten there? He could already be investigating the syndicate and everyone who worked for them. And now that her travel agency had been flagged and she knew her name could be linked to those fake itineraries, Charlie needed To find Colonel before he found her. So here she was in a rented apartment in Bangkok. A woman who knew Dev was not to be messed with, who knew the syndicate was dangerous, who had participated in human trafficking. About to text a police colonel.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I look at this photo. He's a colonel. They look very street. So I have that kind of thing that I kind of afraid to approach him. But I have to. He's the only one that can help me.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie gamed it all out. She'd send him a text message to start a conversation. She wouldn't tell him too much right away. She wanted to play it safe.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I don't want to say everything through chat.

[Jella]

I know.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I wanted to meet him in person and tell everything in person.

[Denise Chan]

She took a deep breath and press send.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I said good morning.

[Denise Chan]

Po Po, by the way, is a term of respect for someone older or with authority.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

He said, yes, good morning.

[Denise Chan]

Okay. Charlie had his attention. Now. She needed to go for it.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I wanted to report the human trafficking in Mesa.

[Denise Chan]

Colonel wrote back quickly.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

Where are you and what is your name?

[Denise Chan]

Charlie fired back a text. She told him two of her brothers were being held in Masat with many other Filipinos who all wanted to go home.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

Can I visit your office in embassy? I told him I want to meet him in person and tell everything.

[Denise Chan]

And Colonel wanted to know what information this woman with two brothers in the scam factory was sitting on. Charlie sat in the Colonel's office on the 28th floor in front of a large wooden desk, waiting.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

It's a small office.

[Denise Chan]

She fidgeted as she looked around the room. Behind the desk was an office chair with a suit jacket. Draped over beside the desk was a flag and a banner labeled Office of the Police Attache Bangkok, Thailand. His assistant told her that the Colonel would be right in to see her.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I was very nervous because that is going to be the first time that I will be talking about this problem that I have. This is the first time and I'm going to talk to a policeman.

[Denise Chan]

In stepped a man with a serious face and short hair combed neatly to the side.

[Police Colonel]

I'm Police Colonel Dominador Mataran.

[Denise Chan]

But Charlie could just call him Colonel like everyone else. Colonel was dressed in a blue button up shirt with a tie and jeans.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

And then he's just wearing his comfy sandals.

[Denise Chan]

Even with the comfy sandals, Charlie was intimidated.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I told Colonel, colonel, can we close the door? Because I want to talk to you in private. And then Colonel made a joke that, oh, I think you're going to say something very important. So I was like, yeah, so? And then he asked me, why do you want to close the door?

[Denise Chan]

Charlie didn't know who she could trust inside Colonel's office.

[Colonel Dominador Matalang]

I was paranoid.

[Denise Chan]

She'd heard that the Syndicate had eyes and ears everywhere, including possibly within the embassy. And if Dev found out she was here talking to the Colonel, I'm dead.

[Police Colonel]

She's so nervous. She's not sweating, but I'm feeling that she's nervous.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie may have hoped she could play it cool, but Colonel could read her like an open book. Maybe it was the 26 years of experience under his belt. He took a seat across from Charlie. In his hands was the statement she just gave to his assistant detailing what happened to her brothers.

[Police Colonel]

As a law enforcer, it's normal for us to not just believe what she wants to say. We have to assess she might be lying or there must be some motives.

[Denise Chan]

Colonel knew he needed to play this.

[Police Colonel]

Carefully on that situation. You need to become a nice guy, not a tough guy.

[Denise Chan]

Colonel really wanted this woman to tell him what she knew because he'd gone through her statement.

[Police Colonel]

I think she's holding back.

[Denise Chan]

There were some things that were not.

[Police Colonel]

Adding up in her narration. She went to Myanmar twice.

[Denise Chan]

She said she'd actually been too to the compound to visit. Not once, but twice. This was highly unusual. These compounds are not the type of place people go and come back from.

[Police Colonel]

So I told her, why did you go there?

[Denise Chan]

She said the first time she went.

[Police Colonel]

To check it out, she was invited by Ted to go to Myanmar to see herself, that the place is okay.

[Denise Chan]

And the second time was to visit her brothers. Colonel could tell that this Dev guy worked for the owners of the scam compound and wondered why Charlie seemed to have all these privileges from Dev. The answer to that question was in a last curious detail.

[Police Colonel]

In her statement, she's mentioning one of the agencies who was used to book the trafficking victims.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie mentioned the name of a travel agency that Colonel recognized. A travel agency that had booked the tickets for previous victims they'd rescued. Colonel asked Charlie about her involvement with this agency.

[Police Colonel]

She is hesitant. She always pauses talking to me, and maybe I observed that she's thinking of what he's saying. Maybe she's very cautious of what she should mention.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie told Colonel that was her travel agency, but she had already closed it. But it's what she didn't tell him that stood out.

[Police Colonel]

She's not telling me that her travel agency was used to book victims. She don't want to admit that she is part of the trafficking person's happening.

[Denise Chan]

By now, Colonel had no doubt that Charlie was involved.

[Police Colonel]

She's part of the circle of the.

[Denise Chan]

Syndicate, and if she was, then Charlie had information that Colonel needed. For the last year, Colonel had been assisting Filipinos stuck in these compounds. But building a case against the people behind the compounds was hard. It was extremely difficult to gather evidence against these people. Victims who escaped from the compound often never even knew who their recruiters actually were. They almost never saw them in real life, and they almost always knew them by aliases. And most of the time, their phones would be wiped when they were at the compound, erasing all evidence about how they'd gotten there in the first place. Charlie, on the other hand, might have all of that. If she was part of the operation, she could have plenty of identifying evidence to build an even stronger case.

[Police Colonel]

Because my objective is to identify the boss who run the company.

[Denise Chan]

So he decided to get real with her.

[Police Colonel]

I warned her if she will not tell the truth, I will be forced to investigate everything and will implicate her in our case.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie had to make a choice. She could clear her conscience or else it was a huge risk. If she admitted to everything, she would implicate herself. She'd be telling on herself to the authorities with no promise of immunity or anything. There would be no walking back that decision or any of her actions. And Charlie needed to make that decision fast because time was running out. Everything she'd done was about to catch up with her Foreign.

[Narrator]

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[Denise Chan]

This is a mini meditation guided by Bombus. Repeat after me. I'm comfy, comfy. I'm cozy cozy. I have zero blisters on my toes blisters. And that's cuz I wear Bombus the softest socks, underwear and T shirts that give back. One purchased equals one donated. Now go to bombus.com wondery and use code wondery for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A-S.com wondery and use code wondery at checkout. Jella sat at her desk. Her screen was full of open chat windows with potential customers. All around her sat her co workers with the same screens full of chat windows. It looked like a normal day at the scam office.

[Jella]

We pretend that we are working, but.

[Denise Chan]

Behind those windows were open browser tabs. In between chats with scam victims, they were desperately scouring the Internet for a way out of this hell. The risk of getting caught in a place where everything is monitored was high. But Jella and her co workers felt they had nothing left to lose because they'd been out of their minds with distress since news of the impending transfer had come down. They were looking for any news about Filipinos who had escaped compounds like these.

[Jella]

Everything about Myanmar escaped research it.

[Denise Chan]

And that's when they saw a name that would change everything.

[Jella]

And then right there, we read the name. Colonel Matalang.

[Denise Chan]

Colonel Dominador Matalang, a man who had rescued Filipino nationals from compounds just like theirs. They immediately jumped to social media to find him.

[Jella]

The whole day we searched for his name on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp.

[Denise Chan]

A whole list of Mataulungs appeared in the search results. Jell and her group sent out messages to all of them, asking each one if they were Colonel Matalong from the Philippine Embassy. Then they found him. Jella told Colonel about her situation and that she was a part of a group of 10 Filipinos who needed to escape, like now. Colonel told her to stay calm. He would help the group try to get out. But he would need her help. See, the civil war in Myanmar had made things messy. There wasn't a government that the Philippines could negotiate with. There was the military junta that had recently staged a couple and overthrown the democratically elected national government. And then there was a group from that overthrown government who were in exile and said they still had power. But it was a patchwork of rebel groups that actually controlled much of the country, including where the compounds were located. And since the Philippine government refused to negotiate with these rebel groups, they didn't have any formal way to step in. But Colonel told Jella he could help her and her co workers negotiate a release for themselves.

[Jella]

And to do that, you look for the complaint desk.

[Denise Chan]

Oh, easy. Just go look for the complaint desk. What the fuck? Turns out scam factories have complaint desks. Yeah, for real. These Chinese companies don't actually own the land these compounds are on. They're just tenants leasing the land from groups in Myanmar. And because of that, some of these compounds have an office with a complaint desk. A place staffed by local administrators and backed up by a group known as the Border Guard forces.

[Jella]

There are people of Myanmar there, Colonel told Jalap.

[Denise Chan]

These people are Burmese. They don't work for the people holding you.

[Jella]

Your boss is only their tenant, and.

[Denise Chan]

They don't want the aggravation or repercussions of foreign nationals getting hurt on their watch.

[Jella]

They will not hurt you because they know you are Filipinos and you are just a tourist there.

[Denise Chan]

Now, let's be clear. The border Guard forces weren't obligated to help anyone. Their loyalty was to themselves and to their own faction. But they made money from their tenants. Good money. As long as things were quiet, they didn't interfere. The complaint desks were their way to make sure that their tenants held up their side of the bargain. Workers could come and file a complaint if they were treated unfairly and wanted to leave. The trick One, you had to know there was a complaint desk, and two.

[Jella]

You just have to look for it where it is located in your compound.

[Denise Chan]

You had to find it. All Colonel could tell Jello was that the complaint desk for her compound was by a bamboo hut called a kibo. He advised Jello's group to find this cabot, go to the complaint desk, and lodge a complaint against their company. Then they'd have to face their bosses and negotiate. And hopefully, in the end, the bosses would agree to let them out and give them back their passports.

[Jella]

Colonel told us that it's up to you to take a risk.

[Denise Chan]

There were no guarantees that they'd be let out. And if their bosses found out they were trying to escape, they might try to hurt them. But Jela didn't waver.

[Jella]

I need to go home.

[Denise Chan]

They told Colonel they would work one last shift and leave the next day. And then shit hit the fan. Toward the end of their shift, the translator who helped the Chinese bosses deliver orders to their Filipino workers dropped a bomb.

[Jella]

The translator was able to tell us, oh, your rescue is already ongoing, right?

[Denise Chan]

The translator knew that Jella and her co workers were planning an escape. Not good. They had to act fast. If the translator told the boss before they found the complaint desk, it would be over for them. So they decided to leave immediately. As soon as their shift ended, Jella rushed back to the dorm. It was one in the morning, and she was in full panic mode. She threw all of her most important items into a black plastic garbage bag as fast as she could.

[Jella]

I just get all my camera and left all my shoes, my dress, my wallet. Only money that I have. I put it inside my sock. I put it inside my underwear.

[Denise Chan]

Jella stuffed the only cash she had in her bra and socks and typed a quick message to her sister.

[Jella]

Sister, we will escape tonight. If I cannot go home, then this will be my last message.

[Denise Chan]

Colonel had told Jella that the group could have their phones confiscated by their bosses, who would in turn contact her family members to extort them for more money. Jela warned her sister not to pick up if she saw her calling after this message.

[Jella]

Whatever happens, do not answer. Do not give money. She said that, are you sure you're going to go home safe? Are you sure you're alive? So I answered, I don't know. Then ha ha ha.

[Denise Chan]

I know underneath that ha ha ha. Jello was mentally preparing for the worst. She imagined herself being brutally beaten by a golf club, shocked with an electric baton. But she didn't share that with her sister. She sent one last text back, told her sister she was leaving now and turning off her phone.

[Jella]

And then I deleted my message. And then no more contact.

[Denise Chan]

Jella put her phone in her trash bag and then she walked out with her roommate. It was quiet outside of her dorm. Jella and her co workers tried to play it cool. Jella pointed to the plastic bag in her hand and told the compound guard they were just throwing out some trash.

[Jella]

We passed by the garbage area where we can throw the garbage bag.

[Denise Chan]

Instead of stopping in front of the trash area, Jella and her companions kept walking. They were leaving their dorms in small groups to draw less attention. They met up in front of the store. They still didn't know where the complaint desk was, but they decided to start walking in the direction of the entrance. The mood was tense.

[Jella]

I'm scared. My hand is trembling. And I just grabbed my companion's hand.

[Denise Chan]

And then they saw something. Just beyond the gate.

[Jella]

We saw a small Kubo with an open area. Could it be maybe this one is what Colonel Matalang is referring to.

[Denise Chan]

The group of 10 approached the gate immediately.

[Jella]

Guards stopped them and then they're asking us where our ticket or where our bus.

[Denise Chan]

The guards said no one could enter or exit without a permit.

[Jella]

We said we don't know. We escaped. Then they asked us, where is our compound?

[Denise Chan]

Jella and her companions told the guards they were from the Philippines and they wanted to go home. The guards insisted that they needed to know which compound they were from. One of the group quickly texted Colonel to ask for help. He told them it was okay to share the information, but he warned them.

[Jella]

Whatever happened, do not come back to your compound or to your room.

[Denise Chan]

Whatever happens, don't let anyone talk you into going back to the compound. Colonel told them that they were only safe at the complaint desk in the presence of the border guard forces. Their bosses would try every trick in the book to draw them away from there. And if they left the safety of the complaint desk, their bosses could and probably would retaliate. They would be in serious danger. And just like Colonel had warned them, the bosses started showing up.

[Jella]

Our translator, our manager, arrived.

[Denise Chan]

It was about three in the morning.

[Jella]

Now the big boss arrived, also trying to convince us to go back to the place.

[Denise Chan]

The Filipinos huddled together and stood their ground. They weren't going back. The bosses started to bargain with Jella and her co workers.

[Jella]

They're telling us to. We will treat you for a meal. We will have a party.

[Denise Chan]

Could they be compelled to stay at the compound with a pizza party? Uh, no. They could have all the damn pizza they wanted once they were free. Okay, well, how about a rest day? No work tomorrow.

[Jella]

And then we said, no work tomorrow, but the next day we will have to work again and then scam again. We are not scammers.

[Denise Chan]

Well, what if they came back but worked for a different company?

[Jella]

We said, no, no, no, because we will just be hurt.

[Denise Chan]

Jala remained firm.

[Jella]

The only thing in my mind is I will escape no matter what. I will not come back no matter what.

[Denise Chan]

By the time the sun started creeping up into the sky, the group still hadn't budged.

[Jella]

The translator explained it to the manager and the boss. They were scammed. They don't want to work here. They want to go home.

[Denise Chan]

The group revealed that the embassy was now involved, that they'd been talking to the police attache. And then finally, the boss relented.

[Jella]

The boss decided to get our passport and give it to us.

[Denise Chan]

Over the next few days, Jella and her group were split up by how they'd gotten to the compound. The seven who had crossed illegally from Thailand in a boat were sent back through Massot. But Jella and two others who had come over the bridge with valid work visas to enter Myanmar were able to go back to Manila through Yangon. They were tired and had almost no money, but at least they were out of the compound. Angela wasn't done yet, because now that she was out of that place, she wanted justice to make sure no one else ended up like her. As soon as she reached the authorities, she would tell them everything, including the names of the people who sent her there, including Charlie. And Charlie could guess what Jella had planned.

[Jella]

Actually, she already knew that we're escaping because she was communicating with my roommates and with my workmates also. So she knows we escaped.

[Denise Chan]

Charlie knew she was in trouble. Anyone who left the compound could press charges. It was time for Charlie to start keeping all those Ernest Breaks promises she made.

[Police Colonel]

Her objective is to get her two siblings out. I told her, if you want to get them out, we have to get those people also who you book to go to Myanmar.

[Denise Chan]

That's on the next episode of Scam Factory. Follow Scam Factory on the Wondery app, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short [e-mail] survey if you have a tip about a story you think we should investigate, please write to [e-mail] Tips from Wondery this is episode 4 of 6 of Scam Factory, a story about a brother, his sister and the big business of lies. Scam Factory is written, reported and hosted by me, Denise Chan. Our Story Editor is Lou Okowski. Senior Producer is Claire Chambers. Associate Producer is Evangeline Barros Reporting by Wijitrad Langdee Additional reporting by Jonvik Mateo. Additional production assistance from Emily Locke, Malachi Wade and Mariah Dennis. Audio assistance by Daniel William Gonzalez Sound design and mixing by Marcelino Villapando Original score by Tangeline Bolton. Music Supervisor is Scott Velasquez. For Frison Sync. Senior Managing Producer is Latka Pandya. Managing Producer is Heather Baloga. Senior Development Editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Fact checking by Jacqueline Colletti. Executive Producers are Julia Lowery Henderson, George Lavender, Marshall Louie and Jen Sargent. For Wondery, I'm Denise Chan, host of Scam Factory and I have a brand new vintage of podcast for you. Fresh off the Grapevine. Blood Vines is a full bodied podcast that uncorks the never before told story of the Luciardi family, one of the most powerful wine dynasties in California's history. Jack Licciardi was the patriarch of one of the country's biggest grape suppliers for America's most popular wine, White Zinfandel. But things turned sour when the government began to investigate the business for multimillion dollar wine grape fraud. The case spilled over into a bloody battle for succession for the family business that almost brought down the entire industry and ended in murder. If you loved Succession, then Blood Vines is the series for you. Grab a glass of your favorite wine and dive into a story that has notes of fraud and betrayal capped off with a big finish. Murder. Listen to Blood Vines exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.