India rescues 'cyber slaves' forced into fraud schemes in Cambodia
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was rescuing its citizens who had been lured into work only to be forced to participate in cyber fraud schemes in Cambodia. So far, it has successfully rescued around 250 Indians, with 75 returning in the last three months, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Jaiswal made the remarks while responding to news reports that more than 5,000 Indians are trapped in Cambodia and forced to commit cyber fraud on people back home.
Rs. 500 crore scammed over the past 6 months
The government estimates these scammers have defrauded people in India of at least Rs. 500 crore over the past six months. The Indian Embassy in Cambodia is actively addressing grievances from individuals lured with job prospects but instead coerced into illegal cyber activities. "We remain committed to assisting all those Indian nationals in Cambodia who seek our support," stated Jaiswal, adding that they are also cooperating with Cambodian authorities and agencies in India to clamp down on these fraudulent operations.
How the police became aware of cyber fraud
The police learned about this scam late last year when a central government employee said he was ripped off of over Rs. 67 lakh and filed a complaint. On December 30, Odisha's Rourkela Police busted a cybercrime syndicate and arrested eight people suspected of moving people to Cambodia. "We issued Look Out Circulars against 16, following which the Bureau of Immigration detained two men—Harish Kurapati and Naga Venkata Sowjanya Kurapati—at Hyderabad airport after they landed from Cambodia," an officer said.
Indian nationals pressured into cyber fraud activities
Their suspicion was cemented when Stephen, one of the men rescued, revealed the racket's modus operandi. "An agent in Mangaluru offered me a data entry job in Cambodia. There were three of us. At immigration, the agent said we were going on a tourist visa, which made me suspicious," he told Indian Express. "It was only later that we found out that our job was to look for profiles on Facebook and identify people who can be scammed," he said.
Forced to pose as women with fake media profiles: Victim
Once the work began, they were forced to pose as women with fake social media profiles. They were also given daily targets and punished for failing to meet them. Stephen stated that if the "cyber slaves" did not accomplish their daily targets, they were forced to go without food or rest. "Finally, after a month and...half, I contacted my family and with the help of some local politicians, they managed to speak to speak to the embassy," he said.
Embassy receives daily complaints, urges filing of FIRs
Second Secretary (Consular and Diaspora) Avaran Abraham revealed that they receive four to five complaints almost daily from Cambodia. "The moment we get a request, we inform the police. We...guide them on how to travel to the embassy, and since they are in trauma we even counsel them," said Abraham. He highlighted an issue where rescued individuals, upon returning to India, are not filing FIRs, emphasizing that only when FIRs are filed can the police take action.
