India’s law enforcement agencies have revealed disturbing details of how young Indians are being trafficked to cyber scam compounds in Southeast Asia, where many are allegedly subjected to torture, forced labour and psychological abuse after being lured with fake overseas job offers.
The findings are part of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) report titled Cyber Scam Hubs and Human Trafficking, which examines how organised crime networks recruit victims for online fraud operations in countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR.
According to the report, most victims were promised IT support or customer service jobs with monthly salaries ranging between ₹50,000 and ₹70,000. After paying recruitment charges, they travelled on tourist visas—often via Thailand—only to discover that the jobs did not exist.
Instead, their passports were seized and they were taken to heavily guarded cyber scam compounds. Victims told investigators they were forced to work 12 to 16 hours a day after brief training sessions and faced severe punishment if they refused or failed to meet targets.
The report describes a pattern of abuse that included electric shocks, confinement in isolation rooms, physical assault, financial penalties and psychological torture. These methods were allegedly used to force victims to continue participating in large-scale online fraud schemes targeting people across the world.
Investigators found that the trafficking networks relied on multiple layers of recruiters. While some victims were contacted through social media, nearly three-fourths were approached through relatives, friends or acquaintances, making the offers appear genuine.
Every documented case involved victims paying ₹50,000 to ₹70,000 in recruitment fees before departure. This debt was then used to trap them further, leaving many unable to escape even after realising they had been deceived.
The report also highlights the role of transnational criminal networks. Cambodia emerged as a major entry point due to its visa-on-arrival system, with many victims first landing in Bangkok before being transported by local facilitators or taxi operators to scam compounds in neighbouring countries.
Inside these centres, authorities found a multinational workforce comprising Indians as well as citizens from Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The compounds were reportedly operated by Chinese-speaking criminal groups running sophisticated cyber fraud operations.
The findings are based on statements from Indian nationals aged 20 to 35 years who were rescued and repatriated during 2023 and 2024 from nine Indian states. Their testimonies have helped investigators map trafficking routes, SIM card trafficking networks and hawala-crypto money laundering channels linked to these scam hubs.
The APG report underscores the growing nexus between human trafficking and cybercrime, warning that fake overseas job advertisements are increasingly being used as a gateway to force unsuspecting job seekers into organised online fraud operations.
