Fourteen Indians, who were fraudulently taken to Cambodia and forced into cyber fraud by trafficking rackets, have appealed to the Indian embassy to facilitate their quick return to India, the NDTV reported on Saturday. These men, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were rescued by local police in Cambodia and are currently staying at an NGO.
Recent reports have shed light on a dangerous job scam that has affected many, including over 5,000 Indians stranded in Cambodia and forced to carry out illegal cyber activities.
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Earlier this year, the government stated that about 250 Indians have been “rescued and repatriated.” These individuals were promised legitimate jobs but were manipulated into participating in unlawful online tasks, according to India’s foreign ministry.
Upon arrival in Siem Reap, Cambodia, their passports were confiscated, and they were forced to work in “cyber scamming” call centers targeting Indian people.
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The police became aware of this massive scam late last year when a senior central government employee claimed he was defrauded of over ₹ 67 lakh and filed a complaint. Odisha’s Rourkela Police busted a cyber-crime syndicate on December 30, arresting eight people allegedly involved in moving people to Cambodia.
Earlier this year, the Indian Embassy issued an advisory for those traveling to Cambodia for jobs, urging Indian nationals to secure employment only through authorized agents approved by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The embassy noted that these fake jobs are often for positions such as ‘Digital Sales and Marketing Executives’ or ‘Customer Support Service’ by dubious companies involved in call-center scams and cryptocurrency fraud.
