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Source: This post ‘Cyber slavery’ in Southeast Asia is created based on the article Amid ‘cyber slavery’ reports, about 30,000 Indians yet to return from Southeast Asia, published in Indian Express on 30th Sep 2024.
Why in news?
Recent reports indicate that over 30,000 Indians are currently stranded under ‘cyber slavery’ in countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
What has the report stated on cyber slavery?
As per the data compiled by the Bureau of Immigration, under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 73,138 Indians travelled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam on visitor visas, from January 2022 to May 2024.
29,466 of these Indians are yet to return.
As per the report, some Indians are trapped in “cyber slavery” in some Southeast Asian countries.
What is cyber slavery?
This refers to situations where individuals, often lured by promises of lucrative jobs to other countries. But, coerced into working in illegal online operations, such as cyber fraud, hacking, or scamming. Once individuals reach these countries their passports would be taken away.
Victims are often confined in guarded facilities with minimal freedom, and their earnings are withheld. Threats of violence or reporting to authorities are used to maintain control.
A significant portion of these individuals is believed to be involved in various forms of digital fraud, including investment scams and online dating frauds.
Reports suggest that many of these scams have resulted in substantial financial losses for victims back in India, because they use the same language. As per the estimates, around ₹800 crore lost by Indians due to fraudulent activities orchestrated by these cyber slaves.
