Narrator/Denise Chan

that they don't want to burden their family with the stress of trying to get themselves out, so they just shoulder it all themselves. I think the scam factory relies on that to keep their workers staying put, to keep them from reaching out for help because they don't want to drag their family into this even further. This is what we saw with Jella.

that they don't want to burden their family with the stress of trying to get themselves out, so they just shoulder it all themselves. I think the scam factory relies on that to keep their workers staying put, to keep them from reaching out for help because they don't want to drag their family into this even further. This is what we saw with Jella.

Even when she heard the possibility of being able to get out of there if her family paid that $4,000 ransom, she was still hesitant because she didn't want her family to have to give up their hard-earned money to these people. So... In that way, that's what makes the scam factory so insidious.

Even when she heard the possibility of being able to get out of there if her family paid that $4,000 ransom, she was still hesitant because she didn't want her family to have to give up their hard-earned money to these people. So... In that way, that's what makes the scam factory so insidious.

They're preying on these very human relationships and exploiting it to create the foundation for their workforce. So they use family to recruit. They use family to control, and they use family to extort.

They're preying on these very human relationships and exploiting it to create the foundation for their workforce. So they use family to recruit. They use family to control, and they use family to extort.

I never had a chance to speak with Josh directly. So, I mean, I couldn't hear it from him. But from the time I spent talking with Charlie and Max— It's really clear that these siblings are, they care really deeply about each other. They love each other.

I never had a chance to speak with Josh directly. So, I mean, I couldn't hear it from him. But from the time I spent talking with Charlie and Max— It's really clear that these siblings are, they care really deeply about each other. They love each other.

So I do think that when Charlie tells Josh what has happened to Max, and Josh being as close in age with Max and being so protective, he was naturally going to spring into action. And he sees that Charlie is, her hands are bound. And so Josh thinks this is the way he can help. I mean, if you look at the situation objectively, it's very natural to think, wait, how is this actually going to help?

So I do think that when Charlie tells Josh what has happened to Max, and Josh being as close in age with Max and being so protective, he was naturally going to spring into action. And he sees that Charlie is, her hands are bound. And so Josh thinks this is the way he can help. I mean, if you look at the situation objectively, it's very natural to think, wait, how is this actually going to help?

How can Josh actually protect Max? But I think if you zoom out and look at the circumstances, Max at the point hadn't been hurt, right? So he didn't like his job. Yes, he was scamming. And he also wasn't making a grand a month, but... He was making a couple hundred bucks, which was still money. And plus he was like physically okay, just depressed by the whole situation.

How can Josh actually protect Max? But I think if you zoom out and look at the circumstances, Max at the point hadn't been hurt, right? So he didn't like his job. Yes, he was scamming. And he also wasn't making a grand a month, but... He was making a couple hundred bucks, which was still money. And plus he was like physically okay, just depressed by the whole situation.

So I think he really believed that if he could just suck it up for a year and his contract would end, he would be able to get out. And so... On Josh's end, when Josh sees Max in this situation, he figured, hey, he could at least keep his brother company. And then they could both make a little bit of money and ride it out together. And if anything went sideways, Josh could be by his brother's side.

So I think he really believed that if he could just suck it up for a year and his contract would end, he would be able to get out. And so... On Josh's end, when Josh sees Max in this situation, he figured, hey, he could at least keep his brother company. And then they could both make a little bit of money and ride it out together. And if anything went sideways, Josh could be by his brother's side.

But as months went on, the emotional toll of scamming people really wore both of them out.

But as months went on, the emotional toll of scamming people really wore both of them out.

It seems like Dev always wanted Charlie, and locking Max in was the first step in doing that. And then Josh going in just gave him even more leverage. It's a totally sinister trap.

It seems like Dev always wanted Charlie, and locking Max in was the first step in doing that. And then Josh going in just gave him even more leverage. It's a totally sinister trap.

There's recently been this sort of renewed attention on these compounds because there was a Chinese actor who was tricked into a compound in Myanmar. He thought he was going for a casting call in Bangkok and then ended up in Myanmar in one of these compounds scamming. And that actually put the compounds in Myanmar back on the map with the renewed attention. And so...

There's recently been this sort of renewed attention on these compounds because there was a Chinese actor who was tricked into a compound in Myanmar. He thought he was going for a casting call in Bangkok and then ended up in Myanmar in one of these compounds scamming. And that actually put the compounds in Myanmar back on the map with the renewed attention. And so...