Digital Arrest Scam: Cybercriminals in Cambodia target Indians, here's how

Human traffickers are enticing Indian citizens to Cambodia with job offers, only to force them into participating in online financial scams and cyber crimes, an investigation by India Today revealed. As incidents of digital fraud continue to rise in India, the Home Ministry's cyber division has pinpointed Southeast Asian nations, including Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, as key areas for these criminal activities.

The Indian embassy in Cambodia has issued a warning for job seekers in the country. It advises Indian nationals not to look for work on a tourist visa, as this is illegal in Cambodia.

"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. These Indian nationals are coerced to undertake online financial scams and other illegal activities," the advisory said.

India Today has found in its investigation that the IPDRs (Internet Protocol Detail Records) of digital fraudsters indicate their locations to be Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The money obtained from these scams is subsequently withdrawn from ATMs in Dubai and Vietnam.

Cybercriminals based in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam are ordering Indian SIM cards for their operatives. Investigations show that around 45,000 SIM cards were shipped to Cambodia and Myanmar, but these cards have since been deactivated by Indian authorities.

In March, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force confiscated about 3,000 M2M SIM cards, designed specifically for machine-to-machine communication.

According to sources from the Home Ministry's cyber wing, scammers are stealing around Rs 6 crore daily through digital fraud. In the first ten months of this year alone, they have taken Rs 2,140 crore.

The Home Ministry has discovered that these fraudsters primarily operate from call centers located in Chinese casinos in Cambodia. As of October, the cyber wing has reported an alarming 92,334 cases of digital arrest fraud.