Over 29,000 Indian nationals have gone missing in Southeast Asia since January 2022, according to a recent report titled "Web of Deceit: Understanding Transnational Cyber Slavery and Organised Crime in Southeast Asia." Many of these individuals are believed to have been trapped in organised crime networks that use fake job offers to lure victims into forced labour in cybercrime, an emerging form of modern slavery termed “cyber slavery.” Operating primarily from countries like Cambodia and Laos, these crime rings prey on vulnerable job seekers from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, deceiving them with promises of high-paying positions abroad.
Cyber slavery in Southeast Asia is an escalating crisis. Criminal groups use social media platforms, job portals, and messaging apps like Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp to post fake job ads targeting young people, primarily aged 20 to 39, looking for better economic opportunities abroad. The report details how the promises of high salaries and benefits in positions like “customer service” or “cryptocurrency trading” attract thousands. When hopeful applicants arrive, their passports and identification documents are confiscated, trapping them in isolated compounds where they’re coerced into working in illegal cyber operations such as phishing scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and fake loan schemes.
The report names several organised crime groups behind these operations, including notorious entities like the Jin Bei Group, the Kings Romans Group, and the Prince Group, all of which operate in Southeast Asia. These organisations leverage weak regulatory oversight, corrupt local authorities, and the anonymity provided by encrypted digital platforms to run large-scale scam operations, with a significant share of the victims coerced into labour within their network.
Between January 2022 and May 2024, over 29,000 Indian nationals who travelled to Southeast Asia under the pretext of work are unaccounted for. Of these, a large proportion travelled to countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam on visitor visas but never returned. With Thailand accounting for nearly 70% of these cases, the report indicates that trafficking is especially prevalent in countries that allow visa-on-arrival, which traffickers exploit to move victims across borders with minimal checks.
The economic impact is profound. India alone reported cyber fraud losses exceeding Rs 1,750 crore in the first four months of 2024, believed to be driven largely by cyber slavery rings. These losses impact both individuals and companies in countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia, where victims are often forced to run phishing scams and other fraudulent schemes targeting unsuspecting users worldwide.
Once lured into these operations, victims are subjected to deplorable conditions. The report describes how criminal groups strip away personal freedoms, confiscate passports, and physically isolate victims in remote compounds. Many are subjected to physical abuse, and those who resist or attempt escape face violent retribution, including beatings and forced starvation.
Victims endure continuous monitoring, psychological manipulation, and relentless pressure to meet daily scam targets. They’re instructed to conduct fraudulent schemes like cryptocurrency scams, fake investment “opportunities,” and romance frauds under duress. This harsh reality leaves victims without any means to escape, locked in cycles of forced cybercrime with severe mental and physical tolls.
The 'Web of Deceit' report outlines the difficulties in dismantling these criminal networks, largely because of the transnational nature of the operations and the technology that traffickers exploit. Encrypted communication tools, the dark web, and unregulated digital currencies enable traffickers to evade detection, while inconsistent legal frameworks across borders hinder law enforcement’s ability to pursue and prosecute offenders.
The report calls for a comprehensive, international response, urging governments to tighten visa regulations, improve border controls, and enhance cross-border collaboration with law enforcement agencies. Additionally, tech companies are encouraged to strengthen their monitoring systems to identify and remove fake job ads that are widely used by traffickers to attract victims. Experts argue that proactive measures by social media and job portals are essential to reducing the reach of these operations.
Support for victims: Rehabilitation and repatriation In response to the growing crisis, the report urges governments and international organisations to implement robust victim support programmes, including legal aid, mental health services, and repatriation assistance. Countries like India are also called to run public awareness campaigns, educating job seekers on recognising fraudulent job offers and verifying employment opportunities abroad.
The alarming disappearance of over 29,000 Indian nationals serves as a critical warning of the scale of cyber slavery affecting Southeast Asia. Experts insist that curbing this crisis will require not only stricter regulatory oversight but also a heightened awareness among job seekers of the risks associated with foreign job offers from unknown or unverified sources. While international organisations and governments make moves to respond, the report underscores the urgent need for vigilance, cooperation, and technological intervention to dismantle the networks behind cyber slavery.