Thousands of Indians trapped in Cambodia, MEA tells job-seekers to be cautious

In an advisory, the MEA called upon Indians looking at job opportunities in the Southeast Asian country to thoroughly check the background of the prospective employer. “It has come to attention that Indian nationals, lured by fake promises of lucrative job opportunities in Cambodia, are falling into the trap of human traffickers,” it said.

The ministry said these Indian nationals are coerced to undertake online financial scams and other illegal activities. “Indian nationals intending to visit Cambodia for employment are cautioned to do so only through authorised agents. It is also advised that the background of the prospective employer in Cambodia is checked thoroughly,” it said.

“In the meantime, the Ministry of External Affairs, through our mission in Phnom Penh, is working closely with the Cambodian authorities to address the issue as well as provide continuous assistance to the affected Indian nationals,” it added.

Last month, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a meeting with officials of the MEA, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and other security experts to draw up a strategy to rescue the Indians trapped in Cambodia. “The agenda of their meeting was to discuss the organised racket and bring back those who are trapped there. Data shows that `500 crore has been lost (to cyber fraud originating in Cambodia) in India in the last six months,” a source said, adding that investigation by Central agencies has so far revealed that agents are trapping people mostly from the southern part of the country, and sending them to Cambodia on the pretext of data entry jobs before forcing them to carry out cyber frauds.