Jella
Appearances
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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. Her coworkers 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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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 Jello 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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
A different compound? Jello 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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
Jella was freaking out. She'd heard rumors about this other compound.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
The one Charlie helped put her in. Before it cost her her life.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
Jella kept her eye on the clock, counting down the minutes until 1 a.m. 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.
American History Tellers
Listen Now: Scam Factory
This was never good news. Jelena and her nine coworkers 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.
Morbid
Listen Now: Scam Factory
If you have five to seven people scam, your salary is $700. And if you have a bigger amount, like 20,000 USD scam, they will give you 1,000 USD salary plus your commission. That'd be great if you were good at scamming.
Morbid
Listen Now: Scam Factory
They will lessen the food like that. No quota, no food. You will be punished to duck walk inside the field for 20 times.
Morbid
Listen Now: Scam Factory
They announced that by next month, we will be transferring to a different compound.
Morbid
Listen Now: Scam Factory
It was a new-built compound. It has another security guard with a bigger fence.
Morbid
Listen Now: Scam Factory
What if I will die here? So I need to leave this compound before we transfer to that compound. She had to get out of this situation.
Morbid
Listen Now: Scam Factory
They just said that it was a meeting with the boss, the team leader, and the translator.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
We were going just to invite a customer through dating apps to have sex with the model. Oh, you wanna play? You wanna see me push it?
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
We are just sharing about, oh my God, I want to go home. Oh, if we escape here, we will go to Batanes, we will go to Baraka.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
Said that girls heads up, don't forget to tell me what you have concerns so that I can brought it up to the company or to the management.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
Every day you will saw five, 15, 20 men private thing. I'm just telling, oh my God, Lord.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
Jella still hadn't told anyone in her family where she really was or what she was really doing. I don't want them to worry about me, that I was in the dangerous place.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
I really wanted to go where there is a restaurant with a macho dancing.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
That was so hard for me because I haven't seen any pornography or any videos about it in the Philippines.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
When I hear about my father, I was so weak. That's why I was, oh my God, I want to see them.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
I'm not usually the person who is asking help from them or asking money from them. And then suddenly, I was in that situation where I have nowhere to go and ask for that big amount of money. So they worked so hard for that money. The guilt of her ask weighed on Jela. Her sister didn't care about any of that. She agreed to find the money.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
Jela felt deeply ashamed that her sister had to do this for her.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
But the boss doesn't allow me to pay. He said, where are you leaving? We need you here. But I said, I want to go home.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
They said my reason was not valid, just because I don't want to stay there.
Scam Factory
The Butcher’s Block | 3
Oh, look at this, like that. She was blushing. I can't bear to see it, that kinds of pictures with the nudity. Oh my God, this one is so big. This one is so dark, like that. This one is so small. They were showing each other dick pics. A lot of dick pics. Every day you see a lot of men's private thing.
Scam Factory
Sacrificial Lambs | 2
I asked her that we're crossing the bridge, so it was really Myanmar. And they said yes. Jella was horrified. That's the time I realized that I was lied to.
Scam Factory
Sacrificial Lambs | 2
Yes, it was Myanmar, but don't you worry, guys, because you have a visa, so you are allowed to stay in Myanmar, and you are a valid entry.
Scam Factory
Sacrificial Lambs | 2
The women in the group chat responded, That was our escort. The military, they want to hurt you. We need to go and continue walking and follow that person.
Scam Factory
Sacrificial Lambs | 2
She didn't have a choice other than to step forward. It was a matter of life and death, so I need to follow instructions. I'm just thinking that if I escape, what will happen to me? And then if I go through, what will happen to me too?
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
And then right there, we read the name Colonel Matalang.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
The whole day we searched for his name on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
If you have five to seven people scam, your salary is $700. And if you have a bigger amount, like 20,000 USD scam, they will give you 1,000 USD salary plus your commission. That'd be great if you were good at scamming. But if you did not scam, you will only get $300.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
They will not hurt you because they know you are Filipinos and you are just tourists there. Now, let's be clear.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
And two, you just have to look for it where it is located in your compound. You had to find it.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
The translator knew that Jella and her co-workers were planning an escape?
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
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.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
Underneath that ha-ha-ha, Jello was mentally preparing for the worst.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
And then I deleted my message and then no more contact.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
I'm scared. My hand is trembling. And I just grabbed my companion's hand. And then they saw something just beyond the gate. We saw a small cubo with an open area. Could it be? Maybe this one is what Colonel Matalang is referring, a cubo.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
And then they're asking us where our ticket or where our bus. The guards said no one could enter or exit without a permit. Jela and her companions told the guards they were from the Philippines and they wanted to go home.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
Whatever happens do not come back to your compound or to your room.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
The big boss arrived also, trying to convince us to go back to the place.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
The bosses started to bargain with Jella and her coworkers.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
No work tomorrow. And then we said, no work tomorrow, but the next day we will have to work again and then scam again. We are not commerce. Well, what if they came back but worked for a different company? We said no, no, no, because we will just be hurt. Jella remained firm. The only thing in my mind is I will escape no matter what. I will not come back no matter what.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
The translator explained it to the manager and the boss. They were scum. They don't want to work here. They want to go home.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
The boss decided to get our passport and give it to us.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
Charlie knew she was in trouble. Anyone who left the compound could press charges. It was time for Charlie to start keeping all those earnest promises she made.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
They will lessen the food like that. No quota, no food. You will be punished to duck walk inside the field for 20 times.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
They announced that by next month, we will be transferring to a different compound.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
It was a new-built compound. It has another security guard with a bigger fence.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
What if I will die here? So I need to leave this compound before we transfer to that compound. She had to get out of this situation.
Scam Factory
This Will Be My Last Message | 4
They just said that it was a meeting with the boss, the team leader, and the translator. With the boss, the team leader, and the translators.