Over 5,000 Indian nationals have been discovered to be held against their will in Cambodia, where they are being forced into participating in online scams targeting people in India. These scams have amassed a staggering Rs 500 crore over the last six months. India and Cambodia are now working together to tackle this problem.
As per sources, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the reports and mentioned that the Indian Embassy in Cambodia is actively dealing with complaints from Indian citizens who were promised jobs but ended up being forced into illegal cyber activities. About 250 people have been rescued and sent back to India.
Reports suggest that those trapped in Cambodia were coerced into scamming Indians by pretending to be law enforcement officers. They would contact victims and falsely claim that suspicious items were found in packages sent by them, then demand money.
The scam came to light when a senior government employee reported losing over Rs 67 lakh. The Rourkela Police in Odisha arrested eight people linked to this cyber-crime syndicate.
Also read: HDFC Bank informs customers to avoid NEFT transfer facility on April 1
