Last week, the Goa Police successfully dismantled an international cyber slavery syndicate. The case gained traction after a young Goan was rescued from an illegal cybercrime centre in Myanmar. Based on the victim’s testimony, the Goa Police launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of a suspect in Bengaluru. Further inquiries uncovered a vast network operating across multiple cities, including Mumbai and Delhi. This incident has once again highlighted the alarming rise of cyber slavery as a new and evolving form of organised crime.
Cyber slavery is a modern form of human trafficking that begins with online deception and evolves into forced labour in cyber fraud rings. According to the CyberPeace Foundation, this form of exploitation can manifest as coerced participation in cybercrime, forced employment in online scams, exploitation in the gig economy, or even involuntary servitude.
Victims are typically lured with the promise of high-paying jobs but soon find themselves working 16-hour days under inhumane conditions. The fraudulent activities they are forced into include money laundering, cryptocurrency scams, and romance frauds.
Indian media reports indicate that cyber criminals primarily target individuals in their 20s and 30s, enticing them with data entry jobs. Once they arrive in countries like Cambodia and Laos, their passports are confiscated, and they are forced to make scam calls to Indian targets.
Many of these scams involve online honey trapping, where victims create fake profiles of women on social media. The fraudulent activities range from cryptocurrency investments to romance scams. Once the victims transfer funds, they are abruptly cut off, and their attempts to reach the scammers are blocked.
During the investigation, the Goa Police discovered that the syndicate was being operated by an unauthorized agency based in Mumbai. This agency was illegally recruiting Indian nationals for jobs abroad without approval from the Ministry of External Affairs. Young individuals were lured with promises of high-paying job opportunities in Thailand and Cambodia, offering salaries between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000 per month. However, upon arrival, their passports were confiscated, and they were coerced into working in cyber slavery call centres.
Cambodia has emerged as the epicentre of this cyber slavery crisis, with Indian media reports estimating that at least 5,000 Indians are trapped there. Many of these individuals were deceived by fake job offers promising legitimate employment but were instead forced into cyber fraud operations.
These fraudulent schemes specifically target Indian citizens, leading to financial losses estimated to exceed Rs 5 billion. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre reports that nearly 45% of cyber crimes affecting Indians originate from Southeast Asia. Since January 2023 to November 2024, more than 100,000 complaints have been registered on India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
There have been numerous cases of Indians reporting being held against their will in Southeast Asia. The Indian government has been actively involved in rescue operations, with 360 cyber slaves repatriated from Cambodia in the first five months of this year alone.
In August 2024 , it was revealed that over 1,000 individuals from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos, potentially falling victim to cyber slavery. Additional cases have been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi. In the same month, 47 Indians who were forced to operate dating app scams were rescued from Laos.
So far, hundreds of Indian nationals have been rescued by either government agencies or international organisations and NGOs.
The issue extends beyond fraud, raising concerns about human trafficking. Government data reveals that out of the 73,138 Indians who travelled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam on tourist visas between January 2022 and May 2024, nearly 29,466 have not returned.
India’s intensified crackdown on cyber slavery and cyber fraud marks a crucial step toward safeguarding its citizens from this growing threat. The government’s efforts, including telecom restrictions, inter-agency coordination, and rescue operations, demonstrate a firm commitment to dismantling these cybercrime networks. However, with thousands still trapped abroad and new scams emerging, continued vigilance and international cooperation are essential to combating this modern form of digital enslavement.