The media in Taiwan and Hong Kong has recently been widely reporting the cyber-scam operations and modern slavery situations occurring in Cambodia and Myanmar as more survivors come forward to share their horrifying experiences. However, the topic is still under-reported outside the Chinese media and deserves more worldwide attention.
Situation
Trafficked into Scam Compounds
It has been reported that people were forced to be scammers as they were trafficked into compounds often located in Cambodia and Myanmar. The victims were foreigners, usually Chinese, who traveled to Cambodia, or surrounding countries for job-seeking purposes. However, they were abducted after arrival and had their passports confiscated by the abductors. Some of them were smuggled into another country so the authorities did not have their arrival records.
Forced to work
Victims were forced to work inside compounds and were unable to leave the areas. They were forced to scam people via channels like gambling sites, dating apps, cryptocurrency, and instant messaging platforms.
Abuse and Ransom
If the victims cannot make money for the organizations, they will be tased and severely beaten. Victims may then be sold to another “company/compound.” They cannot leave the place unless their family members pay a ransom – even if it is delivered, they may not be released.
Worse still, some of them were forced to lure their friends and family members to come to the compounds. There are even stories where the victims had their organs harvested, or their blood is drawn.
Relevant Reports
Al Jazeera
A video report was published by Al Jazeera, highlighting the severity of the modern slavery situation, and how people are getting scammed by the victims who are forced to scam others for survival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-EtdC4zQso
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2022/8/11/meet-cambodia-cyber-slaves
Vice
A report from Vice has highlighted how “pig butchering scams” lure victims to deposit money into Cryptocurrency platforms.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zb5d/pig-butchering-scam-cambodia-trafficking
South China Morning Post (SCMP)
In early 2022, a victim claimed to have his blood drawn regularly by criminals in Cambodia. Slave compounds were not as widely reported back then.
Taipei Times
As reported by the Taiwanese media, victims were threatened with organ harvesting. Authorities are now reminding people of common scams related to working overseas.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2022/08/09/2003783213
AsiaNews
A news article mentions the infamous “KK Park” in Myanmar, known for its organ trafficking operations.
Social Media
A viral video shows Vietnamese victims attempting to escape from confinement.
More Articles from VOD by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)
Be Aware of Cyber Scams
It is crucial to raise awareness of this topic to put an end to the cyber scam and human trafficking operations still occurring to this day. Be very careful of any message on the Internet, especially if money is involved. Sometimes, it is indeed “Too Good to Be True.”
In the end, a special thanks to YouTuber “好棒Bump” for exposing the widespread scam compound issue and helping victims escape from enslavement by traveling to areas close to the scam compounds in Cambodia with a victim’s family member.