Hundreds of Indians, lured by fake job offers, found themselves trapped in cybercrime rings operating in Southeast Asia. The Indian government has now rescued 549 nationals from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, bringing them back home in two military aircraft. But this is just the tip of the iceberg—investigations reveal a well-oiled trafficking network that preys on job seekers, turning them into unwilling cybercriminals.
States with the Most Victims
According to data compiled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), most of those rescued belong to Uttar Pradesh (65), Maharashtra (61), Gujarat (57), and Punjab (48). Other states with significant numbers include Karnataka (34), Tamil Nadu (33), Rajasthan (29), Haryana (26), Telangana (23), West Bengal (20), and Andhra Pradesh (19).
The rescued individuals were taken to the CBI Academy in Ghaziabad, where senior officials from the CBI, NIA, and state police questioned them to trace the full extent of the scam.
How the Scam Worked
A common pattern emerged from the questioning—victims were approached by fake placement agencies offering lucrative data entry jobs with attractive salaries. Once they accepted, they were trafficked across borders and forced to carry out large-scale online frauds for organized crime syndicates.
One official stated:
“They were given offer letters and travel assistance, only to realize they had been tricked after reaching their destinations. The companies they worked for forced them into cyber scams, leaving them with no way to escape.”
The Growing Cyber Fraud Crisis
According to data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), nearly 45% of cyber fraud targeting India originates from Southeast Asia. This includes financial scams, identity theft, and digital extortion.
Cybercrime losses in India have skyrocketed in the past few years:
- ₹551 crore lost in 2021
- ₹2,306 crore lost in 2022
- ₹7,496 crore lost in 2023
With over 1.7 million complaints filed last year, authorities are under pressure to curb these crimes and take action against those enabling them.
Crackdown on Fraud Networks
Responding to concerns in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar highlighted the government’s initiatives:
- The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting System has helped recover ₹4,386 crore from fraudulent transactions.
- More than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for digital scams have been blocked.
- 7.81 lakh SIM cards and over 2 lakh IMEI numbers linked to cyber fraud have been deactivated.
What Next?
While state police have been directed to take action against the fake placement agencies involved, no decision has been made yet on prosecuting the victims forced into cybercrime. With over 5,000 Indians still believed to be trapped in Cambodia and neighboring countries, the crackdown needs to go beyond rescues and dismantle the criminal networks operating both within and outside India.
