How Facebook job ad lured 2 Karnataka men into Myanmar cyber scam camp
The Karnataka Cyber Command has rescued two youths from a scam compound in Myanmar operated by Chinese fraudsters. The duo from Karnataka were lured on the pretext of data-entry jobs. They were asked to work for 16 hours a day and were expected to sleep for six hours daily
Two men from Karnataka were lured by fake Thailand jobs and were trafficked inside the Chinese-operated cyber scam compound in Myanmar.
They were rescued after Karnataka Cyber Command launched a joint operation with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Indian Embassy in Myanmar.
The incident occurred after the duo recently replied to a Facebook ad for overseas jobs. After being successfully rescued on Monday (July 20), they shared their ordeal with police, revealing how job aspirants across India were being cheated under the pretext of high-paying jobs.
These candidates are told to travel to countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia, and then forced into cyber scams.
More from ExplainersWe take a look.
How two Kannadigas fell for the scam
One of the victims, 32, told police that he had completed Class 12 and had gained four years’ experience in the business process outsourcing sector.
After quitting the job, he was actively seeking another opportunity when his friend showed him a Facebook advertisement for an overseas job.
“We clicked on the link and filled in details such as our names, education qualifications, passport numbers, etc,” he told the officials, the Indian Express reported.
The two men received an interview link in the first week of July. One of them told the cops: “The person who interviewed us did not reveal his face but asked a few basic questions," adding that in two days their visas and tickets for Bangkok were ready.
The men reached Bengaluru airport on July 10. As they were set to board, one of them got a WhatsApp call from a man who introduced himself as “Roy” - their manager. The alleged manager asked them to share their photo once they boarded the flight.
Upon landing in Bangkok, a company cab was waiting to receive them, and after that they were taken about 450 km to a hotel, where they were told to rest until other new recruits joined them.
When they realised they were being cheated
After travelling two hours, these two Kannadigas and other "new employees" were left in Moe Sot, along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Something unusual happened the next day. The duo were reportedly taken on a bike to the Myanmar border and left at a military camp.
One of the men told officials: "The people who took us were wearing military uniforms. Ten of us travelled for another 440 km in a car."
They were driven away to a firm in Myanmar’s Kayin State, where their passports were seized. “We were taken to a room and given an agreement copy to sign,” the report noted one of them as saying.
The moment they walked into the workspace the next day, they realised that they had been cheated.
“There were around 70-80 Indians from almost all states working on that floor. Chinese nationals controlled the company. There were Indians and Africans," they told cops.
According to a News18 report, the compound is among many such facilities allegedly run by Chinese syndicates that traffic people from different nations.
The men revealed to the police that "their job was to scam Indians living in the US and siphon money from their accounts." "Every move was monitored."
They were made to work 16-hour shifts, permitted to use a mobile phone for just an hour a day, and were expected to sleep for six hours daily.
“Guards would check our rooms. If they saw that we were not sleeping, we would be punished,” one of them revealed.
“First, they give us a warning. For the second violation, there would be 50 to 100 sit-ups, then 10 rounds of running, then electric shocks. In case of repeated violations, we would be sent to a dark room and fed only once a day," the Express quoted their statement to police.
The duo informed their families after realising that they were trapped.
How Karnataka cyber command rescued them
The first alarm was raised by one of the men's relatives, who worked as a driver for a central government officer, according to reports.
The Karnataka Cyber Command Unit alerted the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre and coordinated with Indian diplomatic officials in Myanmar, resulting in the men's rescue. Swift intervention by Karnataka Cyber Command helped save the lives and future of those young men.
“Such compounds typically lure people with promises of lucrative overseas jobs before forcing them to carry out cyber frauds, including romance and investment scams, targeting victims across the world,” said Pranob Mohanty, Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Following the rescue, Karnataka police also issued an advisory urging job seekers to be extremely careful when accepting overseas employment offers.
It also cautioned against ads related to high-paying jobs in information technology, customer support, data entry, and others that required travelling to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, or Cambodia.
The Cyber Command Unit advised citizens to verify the credentials of employers before accepting overseas jobs and notify their families and local police before travelling abroad.
It also asked them to register with the nearest Indian embassy or consulate upon arrival, and report suspected trafficking or illegal confinement to the nearest cybercrime police station.
With inputs from agencies
Military drones & police check-ups: How Sri Lanka is fighting against worst dengue outbreak in a decade
Why is India seeing 95% cloud cover despite a Super El Niño?
What is CJP’s fourth demand to the government as protests in Delhi intensify?
The new geography of war: Why the Houthis can no longer be ignored
Pakistan’s viral ‘cycle ambulance’ mocked online. Here’s a key fact that the internet missed