47 Indian 'Cyber Slaves' In Laos, Forced To Run Dating Apps Scam, Rescued

At least 47 Indians, who were being held against their will in Laos and being forced to scam Indians back home online, were rescued today by officials. The government has been cautioning citizens against accepting job offers in Laos and Cambodia, some of which are fake and aimed at finding cyber slaves. The Indian mission has so far rescued 635 Indians from the country and ensured their safe return to India.

In the latest case, the embassy rescued 47 Indians trapped in cyber scam centres at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo province, a statement from the Indian Embassy in Laos said.

"Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by Laos authorities after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ, while other 18 had approached the Embassy in distress, seeking help," the statement, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter), said.

Modus Operandi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last month discussed the issue of trafficking of Indian nationals with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during his visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

Indians are lured with a job offer to Laos, where the fraudsters seize their passport, making it impossible for them to leave. They are then forced to pose as women with fake social media profiles and fake photos, given daily targets, and punished for not meeting them. This is how the recruits would spend their days in a country they went to with the "promise" of a better life.

The scammers would pose as women on dating apps and chat with the potential targets. "After some time, they would convince the target to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Many were duped in India this way," one rescued Indian said.

The "cyber slaves" go without food and rest if they failed to meet their daily targets.

Last month, the Indian embassy in Laos rescued 13 Indians, who were lured into certain cyber-scamming centres in the country and sent them back home.