Amidst reports of over 5,000 Indians trapped in Cambodia, allegedly forced to carry out cyberfrauds targeting people back home, two incidents involving youth from Mangaluru have surfaced. City police commissioner Anupam Agrawal confirmed that both incidents occurred a year ago. Individuals are being lured with promises of good salaries and legitimate job offers, only to be trapped in cyberfraud operations.
In these two cases, the complainants managed to escape and return home. Agrawal suspects local agents are involved in recruiting individuals. Following a tip, the incidents came to light. One complainant reported that last August, he saw a job advertisement for a data call centre in Thailand on Instagram. He applied and received a message on Telegram from someone named David, offering a salary of Rs 60,000 per month. The complainant paid Rs 60,000 for the visa and flew to Thailand in September. Upon arriving, he was taken to a border area and then to his accommodation, where he was informed he was expected to engage in scam activities. When he refused, he was confined and threatened. After ten days, he managed to escape to Phnom Penh, sought help at an Indian hotel, went to the Indian Embassy, filed a police complaint, and returned home in October.
In another case, a complainant saw a job advertisement for a position in Cambodia offering Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 with food and lodging provided. He applied and was asked to pay 60,000 baht. Arriving in Thailand, he was taken to the Thailand-Cambodia border, met a Chinese agent, and was forced to work in a gambling operation. After two months, when he expressed a desire to quit, he was told he had to pay Rs 6 lakh. After eight months, he paid Rs 2.5 lakh, retrieved his passport, and returned home on April 16, 2024. Both complaints have been registered at Konaje police station.