Five Cambodian women, who were tricked to work in a job scam in China, were rescued by the Cambodian Embassy in Hanoi on July 20, 2024. - PHOTO: PNN TV via The Khmer Times
PHNOM PENH/HANOI (Khmer Times): Five Cambodian women were rescued in Hanoi, while on their way to a job scam operation in China, by the Cambodian Embassy in Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a Telegram message, Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry said that “the Cambodian Embassy in Hanoi rescued five Cambodian women, who were cheated by brokers to work in China, and has facilitated their return to Cambodia via Ho Chi Minh City.”
He added that the five victims were handed over to the Department of Social Affairs of Svay Rieng province, which was assigned to assist the women, on Thursday.
Online job scams remain a concern in the counrty as people, both Cambodian and foreign nationals, continue to accept false job offers from these fraudulent operations, then need to be rescued.
While Cambodian nationals have been saved, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia last Sunday also reported that “The Embassy of India in Phnom Penh has been rescuing Indian nationals from fraudulent job offers in Cambodia that lured them into cybercrime operations.”
The embassy added that rescues are made possible through close cooperation with Cambodian authorities, while the embassy has facilitated the rescue and repatriation of over 650 Indian citizens who have fallen victim to these scams.
Cambodian authorities recently rescued 14 Indian nationals from a cybercrime scam, and the victims remain in custody awaiting repatriation.
Following the rescue, “these individuals are currently being cared for by an NGO working in coordination with Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation,” it added.
Dr Devyani Uttam Khobragade, Indian Ambassador to Cambodia, told Khmer Times that Indian people are highly recommended to be extra careful before accepting any job offers in not only Cambodia but any country and must pay great attention to the job description, especially the contract and the nature of the work itself.
“I would say to Indian youth, please exercise extreme caution while accepting any employment in Cambodia and neighbouring countries,” she said. “You may only deal with authorised and registered Indian agents.”
She added that “Indian citizens are advised not to indulge in unlawful activities such as accepting job offers on a Cambodian tourist visa and to conduct a thorough background check of the Cambodian company, the nature of the work involved, and the kind of work contract to be signed.”
According to the Indian Embassy, the estimated Indian population in Cambodia is about 2,000 inclusive of a transient community comprising small-scale vendors from eastern India selling household items.
In response to the cybercrime and job scam trend in the Kingdom, the Interior Ministry has recently established a high-level committee with representatives in the capital and provinces to arrest perpetrators and present them, along with any evidence, to the courts for prosecution in accordance with the law.
In cases involving foreign nationals, the procedures outlined in the immigration law will be meticulously followed.
Katta Orn, spokesman for the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said yesterday that, in close cooperation with related ministries, efforts have been made to prevent Cambodians from illegally migrating to a foreign country as they could become victims of job scams.
“The ministry continues to educate people, prevent unlawful migration, and encourage people to migrate legally with worker rights respected, work safety ensured, and good working conditions,” said Orn.
He also noted that any foreigners who work in Cambodia must seek legal support in the event of any suspicious activities.
“For foreigners who come to work in Cambodia, in case of any illegal activities related to the work, please file a complaint with the local authorities or the embassy for immediate legal action,” Orn said.
A report by Cambodia’s Anti-Cyber Crime Department shows that online scams have been reported in the Kingdom, including job scams, online casino scams, love scams, and phishing. - Khmer Times
