The Hong Kong police have arrested five individuals in relation to job scams where victims are lured to work in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos promising lucrative IT jobs but ending up becoming forced labour to syndicates.
Cases have been on the rise where victims have been lured to Southeast Asia usually via email or website and once the victim arrives usually pay for the expenses and will be held against their will. The suspects were allegedly involved in the human trafficking ring usually preying on youths in developed countries tricking them into accepting highly unrealistic job offers abroad.
HK police said there are 22 victims snared by these syndicates in Cambodia and Myanmar with 9 of the victims having yet to contact their families. Similar cases have also been on the rise in Taiwan so much so the police have a permanent presence in the airport monitoring youths who travel to these countries for so called ‘work’.
There’s also a report on Malaysian youngsters falling victim to such scams, while some have managed to escape there’s information many are still abroad trapped in the ring.
Victims usually have to surrender their passports upon arriving at the airport and be taken to scam centres where they are forced to defraud others.
