Sustained crackdown needed on cyber scam networks in SE Asia

SOUTHEAST Asia’s emergence as the ground zero of transnational cyber scam networks calls for a coordinated global effort to protect victims and step up prevention efforts. The United Nations has described the situation as a humanitarian and human rights crisis. The victims include not just those defrauded online. More than 2,400 Indians have been rescued after being lured with fake job offers and forcibly made to engage in cybercrime. According to the Centre, over 20,000 Indians could still be working in the scam compounds primarily located in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Gullible job-seekers from across the world are fraudulently recruited and once trafficked, are subjected to torture and extreme working conditions. Forced to target citizens of other countries, they are not freed unless a ransom is paid. Any attempt to escape can prove to be fatal.

The cybercrime tasks include stock trading and investment-based scams, digital arrest, crypto fraud, impersonation and sextortion. Over half of the nearly Rs 7,000 crore lost to online scams in India from January to May this year is being attributed to Southeast Asian networks. Weak rule of law, widespread corruption and powerful figures’ complicity are cited as the key reasons behind the thriving illicit operations. As repurposed hotels, casinos and private compounds become the centres of global fraud, a relentless crackdown is the only feasible template. Dismantling the cyber fraud industry requires the full support of the governments, which is only possible through strong global pressure to act.

For India, sustained regional collaboration on strategic countermeasures must remain the key focus. At home, if stringent action against travel agents and recruiters is important, so is sending out a clear message to young Indians — do not fall in the job trap. Check and cross-check for red flags.

Editorials