Indian Nationals Freed from Cyber Scams in Cambodia
The Indian government has announced the rescue and repatriation of around 250 Indian citizens who were held captive and coerced into running cyber scams in Cambodia.
These individuals were promised employment opportunities but were forced into illegal cyber activities. The Ministry of External Affairs reported rescuing 75 people in the last three months and is collaborating with Cambodian authorities to crack down on the perpetrators.
Reports from the Indian Express revealed that over 5,000 Indians in Cambodia were victims of “cyber slavery,” orchestrated by organized crime rackets, engaging in fraudulent schemes such as impersonating law enforcement to extort money. INTERPOL characterized the situation as human trafficking-fueled fraud on an industrial scale.
Examples include an accountant from Telangana forced into online fraud schemes and released only after paying a ransom, and another individual recruited for a data entry job but coerced into creating fake social media accounts under threat of starvation.
Similar rescue efforts have been undertaken by China and the Philippines, rescuing hundreds of nationals entrapped in criminal activities like pig butchering scams. These scams often involve luring victims into investing in non-existent crypto businesses under false identities, exploiting trust built through romantic relationships.
Chainalysis reported that cryptocurrency wallets associated with one such gang operating in Myanmar received nearly $100 million in crypto inflows, including ransom payments. This underscores the urgency to address romance scams, not only for financial losses but also for the humanitarian crisis they perpetuate.
Additionally, Check Point identified threat actors exploiting Ethereum’s CREATE2 function to bypass security measures and access funds. This involves tricking users into approving transactions for smart contracts, enabling cybercriminals to later deploy malicious contracts and steal cryptocurrencies undetected.
