Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Aug 17: The ministry of external affairs of the union government has successfully tracked and rescued approximately 250 Indians who were lured to Cambodia with promises of jobs in software companies, only to be exploited by a cybercrime syndicate. Among those rescued, three individuals hail from the Dakshina Kannada (DK) district.
The trio from Dakshina Kannada had travelled to Cambodia a few months ago, having been recruited by an agent based in Andhra Pradesh. They were led to believe they would be employed by a reputed IT company, but upon arrival, they were forced into working for a cyber-fraud operation.
The cybercrime syndicate compelled the Indians to create fake profiles on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, posing as women to deceive others into investing in the stock market and cryptocurrency. The fraudsters operated from Cambodia, using the victims to target and swindle people in India.
Steevan, one of the individuals from Dakshina Kannada who was rescued, shared his harrowing experience: “An agent sent us to Cambodia on a tourist visa, promising a lucrative IT job. It was not until I arrived that I realized I had been deceived. I was forced to work 12 hours a day like a slave, tortured into extorting large sums of money through online fraud. The fraudsters even confiscated my passport.”
The cybercrime syndicate, which has extensive networks in Cambodia and Malaysia, recruits young Indians, capitalizing on their skills to perpetrate similar crimes. These victims are often made to target people from their home states in India. Five individuals from Karnataka were among those ensnared in this network and have since been rescued.
The rescue operation was triggered after an official in India lost Rs 67 lac due to a fraudulent WhatsApp message promoting investment opportunities. A case was registered in Odisha, and as the cyber police delved deeper into the investigation, they uncovered links to the Cambodian cyber mafia. The information was subsequently shared with the Indian ministry of external affairs, leading to the rescue of 250 Indians.