The victims were coerced into working in large-scale cyber fraud operations run by transnational criminal syndicates, a mid-day report revealed
The rescued victims with Maharashtra Cyber officials. ADG Yashasvi Yadav (in brown blazer) is seen with DCP Hemraj Rajput (to his left). Pics/By special arrangement
In a major crackdown on cyber slavery, the Maharashtra Cyber Wing rescued more than 60 Indian nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar under the false promise of lucrative overseas employment. The victims were coerced into working in large-scale cyber fraud operations run by transnational criminal syndicates, a mid-day report revealed.
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Victims were lured through social media by agents posing as employment consultants, offering high-paying jobs abroad. They were flown to Thailand on tourist visas, and then transported for hours toward the Thai-Myanmar border, in a perilous journey where they were made to cross a river in small boats into Myanmar and then confined in heavily guarded compounds controlled by armed groups.
Yet, the victims were subjected to extreme torture, locked in detention centres without food for up to 36 hours if they refused to work or failed to meet targets. They had been promised call centre jobs in Thailand. Instead, they landed in this house of horrors.
Verify and cross-check when applying for overseas jobs. What is the credibility of this ‘agent?’ What will be the nature of one’s job? Can one speak to a representative overseas? Is there a chance one can speak to somebody already placed by that agent or gone through that avenue, living and working there?
Sometimes, these overseas offers promise extraordinary rewards, almost too good to be true. That is because they are false. This scam scheme, like all cons, operates on establishing trust through deception, luring persons with humongous rewards, promises and obfuscations, vague answers and finally, outright falsehood. While being trapped is one aspect, the harrowing experience can break one mentally. Scars remain for life.
The dangerous journey is lifethreatening. Do background checks and communicate with experts and the experienced to avoid fraud that can, at times, be fatal.
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