On Friday, the Indian Embassy in Myanmar repatriated four Indian nationals who had fallen victim to fraudulent job offers and were forced into scamming others. On April 12, these Indian men, who fell victim to a cyber fraud operation based near the Myanmar-Thailand border, infamous for being “the global capital” of scams, were rescued from cyber-scam networks in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
After the rescue last week, the men were taken to Yangon where Myanmar authorities handed them to Indian officials.
The return of the four takes place a month after over 500 Indians, who fell prey to fraudulent job offers in “the global capital,” were brought back to India.
The Global Capital Of Scams
In recent times, Indian nationals have been drawn in by fraudulent job offers, only to end up trapped in scam operations along the Myanmar-Thailand border, where they are coerced into participating in cybercrime and various deceitful practices, as reported by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
According to Rangsiman Rome, a lawmaker from Thailand’s Opposition People’s Party, the Myawaddy area, from which the four Indians were saved, is the “world capital of scams.” In a VOA report from February, he stated that approximately 300,000 scammers operate in the area around the clock, deceiving individuals worldwide.
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“They have scammed more than the entire gross domestic product of some countries, and there is no end to their operations in sight,” Washington-based broadcaster VOA quoted Rangsiman as saying.
Following the acquisition of billions in illegal funds from their schemes, the crime leaders have begun relocating to new areas further south of Myawaddy along the Thai border, as reported by VOA.
The Indian Embassy in Yangon, during the repatriation of the four Indians, also cautioned about these fraudulent job offers.
“We facilitated exit permits by Myanmar authorities for these four Indian nationals from Myawaddy compounds and repatriation through Yangon yesterday. We strongly advise against such job offers and entry/exit without border immigration in Myanmar/Thailand, which can restrict future entry,” the Indian Embassy posted on X on Friday.
The four individuals repatriated on Friday were among 36 Indian nationals who fell prey to the Myawaddy scam compounds. On April 10, 32 individuals were returned to their home country.
The con artists near the Myanmar-Thailand border promote roles as “Digital Sales and Marketing Executives” with attractive benefits in Thailand, Dubai, and Bangkok, to entice foreign individuals. However, upon their arrival, they are compelled to engage in cyber fraud at these fraudulent centers. The fraudsters spread the bogus job offers via social media ads and also through agents located in Dubai and India.
The MEA reports that victims are compelled to labor in severe conditions at the scam centers that are scattered across the area near Myawaddy in southern Myanmar. The authorities stated that the majority of the victims hailed from China and India, with a few additionally from East Africa.
