The BBC explores a city rife with scams, particularly focusing on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) that entice Chinese criminals to operate unchecked. The presence of these gaming centers has led to various crimes, including blackmail and torture of scam victims forced into committing fraud. There is a spotlight on how local governance interacts with these operations, embodied by the case of a local mayor, Alice Guo, who has been tied to these fraudulent schemes and fell under scrutiny after a victim escaped. User comments bring up issues of popular scams such as 'pig butchering' and critique the implications of libertarian ideals in establishing independent city-states, questioning their viability under such lawless conditions.