A 26-year-old Malaysian who decided to accept a job offer in Cambodia found himself forced to work for a criminal syndicate as a scammer for three months before he was rescued earlier in 2022.
His experience was the subject of a video produced by Chinese media Lianhe Zaobao (Zaobao), offering a glimpse into the syndicates operating out of the Cambodian city of Sihanoukville.
What did his account reveal?
Tricked into working as an online investment scammer by the syndicate
According to the video that was uploaded on Jun. 19, Lee Wei Hong (not his real name) said he was introduced to a job offer involving online gambling operations in Sihanoukville by a former colleague.
This offer included, among other things, a monthly salary of US$3,000 to US$4,000, food, lodging and air tickets, as well as additional commission.
However, upon arrival at the airport, Lee said his passport was taken by the “company” and that the contract he was shown was “completely different” from what he had been told.
Lee added that he was then taken to a compound that served as the base for scams operations that targeted Chinese nationals.
The syndicate subsequently forced him to work as an online investment scammer, by looking for potential victims on the Chinese social media platforms, WeChat and QQ.
Zaobao further reported that based on Lee’s observation, the syndicate appeared to have 120 employees, with most of them from mainland China.
Some of the details that Lee revealed regarding the…
