Youths lured to Cambodia with fake jobs, forced into cybercrime

Bhilwara: Rajasthan Police have flagged a growing racket in which youths are allegedly being lured abroad with promises of lucrative computer jobs, only to find themselves coerced into participating in cybercrime operations in Cambodia. Victims from Chittorgarh, Rajsamand and Beawar districts have reached out to the police seeking help.As the job market in India tightens, many youths are turning to social media advertisements that showcase job opportunities abroad, offering salaries ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per month in the technology sector. However, after reaching foreign lands, these job seekers quickly discover that they have fallen victim to a network of cybercriminals.
Upon contacting local agents who promise job placements, these youths are guided through the process of acquiring passports and visas. Police said that once in Cambodia, the youths' passports, visas and mobile phones were confiscated and they were put through about a month of training in online fraud methods, including "digital arrest" scams, share investment fraud and social media scams. They were then allegedly compelled to call and target people in Hindi-speaking states using Indian SIM cards, exploiting their fluency in Hindi to gain victims' trust. The case surfaced after some Chittorgarh youths escaped and reached the Indian Embassy in Cambodia seeking help. The embassy then contacted Chittorgarh SP Manish Tripathi to verify details, following which local police began action on the network involved. One victim recounted the harrowing experience, saying, "We somehow saved ourselves and reached out to the Indian Embassy. If we hadn't, we would still be locked in that room, compelled to commit fraud on fellow Indians." Victims indicated that their proficiency in Hindi makes them prime candidates for fraud operations, as they can easily deceive Hindi-speaking victims.Beawar SP Ratan Singh said reports have emerged of youths from villages in the distirct travelling abroad through such channels and that an investigation is underway to identify agents and determine whether similar coercion occurred.Udaipur Range IG Gaurav Srivastava said similar cases have been reported in Rajsamand and warned that youths are being trapped in "3-4 countries" under the pretext of computer jobs and later coerced into crimes. He said police would take strict action against agents operating in the region and urged job seekers to verify offers through local police before travelling abroad.Police are now escalating efforts to arrest the agents responsible for these illicit operations. One such agent, identified as Lucky Mochi from Chittorgarh, is currently under investigation for his alleged role in facilitating the travel of these youths and subsequently leading them into crime.IG Srivastava has urged potential job seekers from the Udaipur range to thoroughly verify job offers and the legitimacy of agents before making travel plans. He emphasised that several similar cases have emerged recently, suggesting a larger pattern of deceitful job placements leading to forced involvement in cybercrime.