How Asian Gangs Are Luring People Into Slavery With Fake Jobs
A wave of pop-up scam centers is ravishing south-east Asia, as thousands of job seekers are lured into pretend positions only to be used to sell scams online. Undoubtedly one of the most brutal acts of slavery within the gambling industry, these gangs are preying on innocent people to carry out their dirty work across the continent. Not much is known about the figureheads who lead these operations, but an open investigation is ongoing as police attempt to locate these centers and free anyone involved. It is likely to continue for years to come.
The latest spree of scam centers has come from South East Asia, where Thailand and Cambodia are the two biggest culprits for this dangerous scam. These scams’ horrifying nature has led to a major police investigation, with several nations lending their support. ©madartzgraphics/Pixabay
A jobseeker saw an advert for a telesales job and immediately jumped at the opportunity, his dad had just suffered a stroke, and his job as a masseur wasn’t paying enough. After arriving, he was met by a group of men who drove him to a discreet location, seized his passport and dumped him in a small bare room with no amenities. This was the story of one gentleman who fortunately managed to escape the desperate situation he found himself in after months of working for a dangerous gang that lured people from all across Asia.
Unfortunately, this kind of operation has become far more common in certain areas of Asia and even parts of South America, where this strain of scam originally started. The wave of people being swept up by gangs and taken to discreet locations to perform illegal online scams has become an extremely big issue in Asian governments as the amount of missing person cases has almost trebled since this became a prominent topic of discussion. Police presence is now set to double at major airports in Thailand and Cambodia to counter the number of gang members who wait outside the terminals to take these individuals away.
The online gambling industry has seen a major increase in online crime since the beginning of the 2000s. Everything from scams to human trafficking, and these gangs aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands and straight up kidnap people from their homes. There have been cases of Yakuza members raiding small villages and kidnapping young adults and computer-literate individuals to run their online scam section of the gang activity. It is surprisingly profitable and has become a favorable option for gangs everywhere due to the lesser level of risk.
This is nothing new, unfortunately. There have been previous cases of kidnapping and forcing people to carry out online scams on behalf of gangs. Earlier this year, the Dubai police arrested multiple gang members for running a forced gambling den and other racketeering charges. This was a massive story at the time, and the country’s media were appalled at the cruelty these individuals showed to ensure that the workers met supposed quotas every day. The police are still aware of the issue, as many others still exist in the UAE, among other countries.
The Ruthless Gangs Of Asia
The job seekers, unfortunately, targeted by these gangs, will have suffered serious trauma, and many may be uncomfortable with the prospects of online job advertising for the rest of their lives. It has become a bigger issue every year, and the police have received a lot of criticism for their seemingly lax actions towards the situation. Acting much slower than they should have and failing to recognize legitimate appeals as a reason to start a criminal investigation. In fact, one of those people forced into slavery has plans to sue the Thailand police department for ignoring pleas for help and their lack of effort in the case thus far.
Cambodia’s government have appointed a new justice committee to tackle the issue at hand and lend support to other countries that face the same problem. A number of nations are deeply struggling with organized gang activity, mostly Vietnam and Thailand, where a number of Chinese gang members have effectively set up shop. To avoid prosecution from the Chinese government, many criminals have moved abroad to countries such as Mongolia and the previously mentioned to establish a thorough criminal network and avoid harsh penalties. The level of activity has become a major concern for police forces across the continent as they attempt to clamp down on any new organisations.
