As technology adoption continues to surge, so does the prevalence of cyber scams. In a disturbing trend, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting unsuspecting Indians under the guise of lucrative job offers. More than 5,000 Indian citizens in Cambodia, a South Asian country, are allegedly being forced to engage in online scams targeting their fellow countrymen. The fraudsters behind these schemes have managed to swindle victims out of a significant amount, estimated to be at least Rs 500 crore, in the last six months alone.
What adds another layer of complexity to this deceitful scenario is the revelation that Indians held captive in Cambodia are forced to impersonate law enforcement officials to entrap more Indians. By falsely claiming to have discovered suspicious items in the packages sent by these people, they exploit the trust and fear of the victims to extort money.
Collaborative Rescue Efforts
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Government of India, has taken swift action, working closely with Cambodian authorities to rescue and repatriate victims. To date, approximately 250 Indians have been rescued and returned home, shedding light on the scale of this cyber slavery epidemic.
The cyber fraud case was brought to public attention after the Rourkela Police in Odisha uncovered a syndicate on December 30, 2023. This operation led to the arrest of eight people from various parts of India, suspected of facilitating trips to Cambodia for illicit purposes.
The Rourkela Police have gathered prima facie evidence against multiple individuals involved in the scam, leading them to issue Look Out Circulars against 16 people. Shedding light on the operation, an officer disclosed that it began with a complaint filed by a senior Central government official who was defrauded of approximately Rs 70 lakh.
Online Scams Targeting Indians: Victim Testimony
Stephen, one of the rescued men, recounted his experience to The Indian Express. He explained he and another guy named Babu Rao from Andhra were offered jobs in Cambodia by an agent in Mangaluru. When at the immigration, the agent mentioned they would be travelling on tourist visas, Stephen became suspicious. Upon arriving in Cambodia, they were taken to an office where they underwent interviews and skills tests, such as typing speed assessments.
After passing all the tests, Stephen realised that the job involved searching for Facebook profiles to identify potential targets for scams. He noted that the team consisted of Chinese people, with a Malaysian translator facilitating communication in English.
Regarding their daily routine, Stephen revealed that they were mandated to create fake social media accounts using photos of women sourced from different platforms. They were specifically instructed to be cautious in selecting these photos, ensuring they did not raise suspicion. Surprisingly, failure to meet their targets resulted in punishments such as withholding food or denying access to their rooms. Eventually, after enduring these circumstances for a month and a half, Stephen contacted his family for help, and they reached out to local politicians to facilitate communication with the embassy for their rescue.
Addressing Root Causes
The alarming rise of cybercrimes targeting young Indians is largely attributed to the high youth unemployment rate in India compared to other developed nations. This disparity is particularly pronounced among educated individuals, with the highest rates observed among those holding graduate degrees or higher, according to the latest “India Employment Report 2024” report.
In 2022, the unemployment rate among Indian youth with secondary education or higher stood at 18.4%, which was six times higher than the rate for individuals lacking basic literacy skills, recorded at 3.4%. What’s more surprising is that the unemployment rate among graduates soared to 29.1%, making it nine times greater than the rate among those lacking basic literacy skills.
Avaran Abraham, Second Secretary (Consular and Diaspora), revelaed that they receive an average of four to five complaints regularly from various parts of Cambodia. Upon receiving these complaints, they quickly notify the local police and provide assistance to affected Indians on how to reach the embassy.
However, upon returning to India, many of these rescued Indian victims do not file FIRs (First Information Reports) with the police. This poses a challenge, as without FIRs, Indian authorities cannot pursue legal action against the agents or companies involved in fraudulent activities.
To address this concerning trend, the government must raise awareness among jobseekers and educate them about the dangers of falling into such traps. It is crucial to provide guidance on how to identify and avoid fraudulent job schemes and empower individuals with knowledge on how to take legal action against deceptive agencies and companies.
