Recent reports have highlighted a disturbing job scam that ensnared thousands, including over 5,000 Indians stranded in Cambodia and coerced into illegal cyber activities.
In a harrowing development, 14 Indians, primarily from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who were deceived and trafficked to Cambodia, have been rescued from a life of cyber fraud and are now awaiting their return to India. The group, which has been under the control of trafficking rackets, was forced to work in illegal cyber scamming operations.
The Indian nationals were fraudulently promised legitimate employment opportunities in Cambodia. Upon arrival, their passports were confiscated, and they were coerced into working in “cyber scamming” call centers, targeting individuals in India. The local police in Cambodia rescued these individuals, who are now sheltered at an NGO while they await repatriation.
This scam has affected a large number of people, with the Indian government previously reporting that around 250 individuals had been rescued and brought back to India earlier this year. The scale of the scam came to light following a complaint by a senior central government employee who was defrauded of over ₹67 lakh. The case led to the busting of a cyber-crime syndicate in Odisha’s Rourkela, which was allegedly involved in trafficking individuals to Cambodia.
In response to the escalating issue, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia issued a warning to Indian nationals seeking employment in the country. The advisory emphasized securing jobs only through authorized agents approved by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to avoid falling victim to fraudulent employment offers.
The embassy also highlighted that these fake job offers often involve positions such as ‘Digital Sales and Marketing Executives’ or ‘Customer Support Service’ in dubious companies engaged in call-center scams and cryptocurrency fraud.
Sources By Agencies
