It was the Taiwanese captive's frantic dash for help that alerted police to a "slave house" telephone scam run out of a Brisbane mini mansion.

"Help, help help," the man, who can not be named for legal reasons, said.

"Wallet, phone, ID, passport, taken. Share house. Other people, about 20 of me. Locked doors, run away."

That was August 9, 2015, when he was just one of many Taiwanese kept "in servitude" working 12 hours a day, seven days a week scamming wealthy Chinese.