Police warn youths about job fraud by cybercriminals

Kochi: City police have warned job aspirants to be watchful of scams where youths are being offered jobs in data entry and IT sector to push them into forced labour in various countries.A Facebook post made by Kochi police through their official handle warns residents to be watchful of cyber slavery scams.Police said in the post that cybercriminals have recruited tens of thousands of people from India under the false pretence of offering jobs in data entry or IT sectors, only to detain them and use them for cybercrimes. These individuals are subjected to various forms of abuse and forced to commit cybercrimes around the clock, said the post.Police added that such persons are isolated from the outside world and unable to contact even their families. They end up being part of organized cybercrime in foreign countries. Before accepting any job offers, make sure to thoroughly investigate and verify their legitimacy, said the Facebook post.Two years ago, a Parassala native had returned after being abducted from Thailand and forced to work in KK Park, an area which houses scam dens south of Myawaddy in Myanmar. According to him, hundreds of innocents are threatened, tortured and forced into committing cyber offences against their will at such places.He had said that they were given computers, which had Facebook accounts in the name of women, and they were made to post about job offers in New Zealand or Australia through these profiles. Once someone comments on it, expressing interest, the youths were made to collect their details like name, location, WhatsApp number, etc.Many other Keralites have been trapped in such scams abroad, said a source. According to reports, the victims were made to work for up to 17 hours, and even 24 hours if they failed to meet targets. In these camps, they are made to run rounds, do push-ups with weights on their back, etc. apart from physical torture, said the source.Police urged residents to contact the national helpline number 1930 in case of being approached by cybercriminals.