Lao police have rescued a total of 13 Indian nationals, who were trapped in cyber-scamming centers, the Indian Embassy in Laos announced on 21 July.
The scam victims were promptly repatriated to India.
“In our continued work to ensure the safety and well-being of Indians, the Embassy successfully rescued 13 Indians from cyber-scamming centers in Laos and ensured their safe return to India,” the embassy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This latest rescue brings the total number of Indian nationals rescued in Laos to 518. The embassy expressed gratitude to the Lao authorities for their continued support.
The embassy also issued a warning about fake job offers targeting Indians. These scams promised jobs such as ‘Digital Sales and Marketing Executives’ or ‘Customer Support Service’ but they resulted in traps set by criminal organizations involved in call center scams and cryptocurrency fraud in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.
The warning highlighted that agents in Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, and India were recruiting Indian nationals through simple interviews, promising high-paying jobs, hotel accommodations, flight tickets, and visa assistance. Victims were then illegally transported from Thailand to Laos and forced to work under harsh conditions.
Additionally, some victims were held hostage by criminal gangs and subjected to severe physical and mental abuse. The embassy also noted cases where Indian workers were sent to Laos for low-paying jobs in sectors like mining and wood factories.
This recent operation highlights the persistent problem of deceptive job offers in the region. In March, approximately 25 to 30 young Indians were enticed with promises of high-paying jobs in Thailand but were instead forced into illegal call center work in Laos. They fell victim to a criminal syndicate that exploited them to defraud individuals across Europe, the United States, and Canada.
