 Scroll Job Scams Have Enslaved Thousands of Indians in South East Asia Dear Reader, Dinabandhu Sahu thought he had found salvation: a stable job abroad, a path to clear his debts, and a brighter future. But when he arrived in Vietnam, his journey twisted into a nightmare. Smuggled into Cambodia, his passport was seized and his days were spent under surveillance, forced to scam strangers to survive. This isn't a movie plot. The dream of a well-paying job abroad is being manipulated by powerful scam networks operating out of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Once hopeful jobseekers arrive, they are trapped in "cyber-slavery", creating fake investment schemes and preying on unsuspecting victims around the world, including in India. With passports confiscated and escape nearly impossible, they endure endless hours of coercion and fear. Since the pandemic, these operations have spread like wildfire, fueled by organised crime syndicates with deep pockets and global ambitions. The numbers speak volumes: over 7,000 cybercrime complaints are lodged every day in India, many tied back to these foreign syndicates. Yet, victims like Saddam Sheikh from Maharashtra – duped, trafficked and forced to scam – return home with nothing but warnings for others. At Scroll, we’ve closely watched the staggering rise of digital arrest scams and other schemes draining people of their hard-earned money. Now, we're delving deeper. These job scams aren’t just stories – they’re systemic assaults, targeting the most vulnerable among us.  Your support will allow us to investigate and share stories that can protect someone from making a decision that could cost them dearly. Back our mission to shed light on the hidden machinery behind these scams. |
