Hyderabad: The Telangana police have cautioned young people against falling prey to gangs sending job aspirants to Cambodia and other countries with promises of highly remunerative jobs.
The caution came as the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) investigates a case from Sircilla district, revealing that Indian youth are being lured to various countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam under the pretext of providing well-paying jobs.
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Shikha Goel, Director of TGCSB, explained that a victim from Sircilla was trapped by a network of travel agents from Sircilla, Uttar Pradesh, and Pune and sent to Cambodia. There, he was forced to join a call center managed by Chinese nationals. The victim received one week of communication skills training and was then asked to make phone calls to Indian mobile numbers, committing cyber crimes by impersonating staff from various international courier services and sometimes even law enforcement officers. He was paid $950 per month for his work. After three months, unable to bear the harassment and torture from the cyber criminals, the young man returned to India with the help of the Indian Embassy in Cambodia.
The case was initially registered and investigated by Sircilla police and later transferred to the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) HQ, TGCSB, due to its international ramifications.
During the course of the inquiry by the TGCSB CCPS team, it was found that a large number of such call centers are operated by cyber criminals in many countries. These call centers are staffed by youth from developing nations, lured by promises of good employment opportunities. Once these victims reach the centers, they are forced to commit cyber crimes. The foreign managers at the call centers subject the victims to various kinds of hardships and torture if there is any shortfall in their performance or refusal to follow directions, thereby forcing them to commit cyber crimes against their will. It has also come to light that some of the youth from India, who are already involved in these jobs, are willingly working for the Chinese managers by becoming agents and establishing contacts with travel agents in India, who in turn lure gullible youth from different parts of the country by offering data entry jobs.
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“Young people are advised not to blindly believe advertisements offering jobs abroad by travel agents or recruiting agents for overseas manpower, especially to countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos,” Goel said.
In cases of job offers abroad in any company or firm, they should approach the Protector General of Emigrants under the Ministry of External Affairs to verify that the travel agent or recruiting agent for overseas manpower in India is registered. They are also advised to obtain immigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants before traveling if the recruiting agents are registered with the Protector General of Emigrants. This will ensure their safe return to India by the Indian government through its embassy in case of any human exploitation abroad.
In case of any doubt, individuals may contact the TGCSB at director-tscsb@tspolice.gov.in. The public is also advised to inform TGCSB if they know of any person or agency sending youth abroad under false pretenses or if they know of any individual who is a victim of such an offense and is stranded abroad, the police appealed.
