The U.N. migration agency has warned of a significant surge in human trafficking into Asian scam centers, with people from over 80 countries being lured in through social media. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that huge scam centers employing as many as 300,000 workers have emerged in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos to deploy online schemes to defraud often older individuals in the West.
Victims of Trafficking
According to the IOM, many of those trafficked are themselves tricked into employment through fake job advertisements offering lucrative work contracts for those with strong English skills and a college education. Once duped, they are stripped of their documents and forced to carry out online scam operations amid threats and violence.
Amy Pope, director general of the IOM, stated that people trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats, and coercion. The IOM has helped victims from some 30 countries recruited under false pretenses and is calling for continued support to assist victims of trafficking through protection, safe return, and reintegration.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
