Thousands of Indians trapped as ‘cyber slaves’ – media

New Delhi is identifying citizens who have been forced into money laundering and “dating scams” in Southeast Asia

Thousands of Indians are believed to be trapped in several Southeast Asian countries where they are forced to work as “cyber slaves,” the Indian Express reported on Monday.  

The illegal activities they are allegedly coerced into include money laundering, cryptocurrency fraud, and “dating or love scams” in countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.   

According to data compiled by the Indian immigration authorities, almost 30,000 of the 73,138 Indians who traveled to these countries on visitor visas from January 2022 to May 2024 have yet to return.  

Reports indicate that people from across India are being lured by scammers who instruct them to create fake social media accounts, often using photos of women, to convince others to invest money. Some men rescued from these scams by the Indian government earlier this year told the Indian Express that they were offered “lucrative” jobs by agents before being sent to these countries, where their passports were subsequently seized. 

Most of the Indians reportedly trapped abroad are in their 20s and 30s. Over a third come from Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Approximately 70% of those who have not returned had traveled to Thailand, the report stated.  

The issue came to public attention last year when Odisha police cracked down on a cybercrime syndicate linked to Cambodia. Several individuals facilitating trips to that country were arrested after law enforcement was alerted by a federal government employee who had fallen victim to cyber fraud, according to NDTV.  

In April, the Indian government announced it had rescued 250 citizens from Cambodia, all of whom had become victims of cyber gangs running “fraudulent schemes,” the Ministry of External Affairs reported. 

In May, New Delhi established a high-level inter-ministerial panel to address the issue and identify systemic loopholes. The panel has directed regional governments to conduct ground-level verifications and gather details about those allegedly trapped in Southeast Asia.   

The authorities have also instructed telecom operators to share data on Indian mobile numbers using roaming services in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Furthermore, telecom companies have been asked to block incoming international “spoofed calls” displaying Indian mobile numbers, as such calls reportedly account for 35% of incoming international communications.