Deceived by "Earn $2,000 in Cash" Offer, Trafficked Through Scam Compounds... NIS Urges Extreme Caution

NIS Reveals Case of Victim A
in Cambodian Scam Compound

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced on January 20 that, despite recent reports of the detection and arrest of scam crime organizations in Cambodia, there are still cases where some young people are deceived by high-income job offers from overseas criminal organizations and travel to Southeast Asia. With the consent of the individual, the NIS disclosed the case of victim A (25).

According to the NIS, A received a job offer via Telegram from an unidentified individual, promising 2,000 dollars in cash for staying at a hotel in Vietnam for about two weeks. A then traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. However, upon arrival, A's passport and mobile phone were confiscated by a criminal organization. A was then sold from one criminal group to another, moving between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Although A tried to resist the criminal organization, A was threatened with statements such as, "If it becomes known that you crossed the border illegally, you will be arrested by the local police." As a result, A remained confined, eventually being sold to a scam organization in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia, near the Vietnam border, after passing through Poipet and Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Moc Bai in Vietnam.

The scam compound in Mondulkiri Province where A was confined is a remote jungle area near the Vietnam border, with no homes or commercial buildings, making escape impossible without outside help. A stated that he was forced to participate in criminal activities under the promise, "If you work well for six months, you will be allowed to go home." Notably, A testified that he experienced severe psychological pressure after witnessing one Korean national in the scam compound being beaten with an electric shock device and a club for underperforming.

Ultimately, on December 17 of last year, A was rescued through location tracking after a report from his mother in Korea, who stated that her son was being held captive by a criminal organization. During the rescue operation, a total of 26 Korean members of the organization were apprehended.

The NIS stated, "Despite numerous media reports on Southeast Asian employment scams, confinement, assault, and torture, there continue to be cases where young Koreans in their 20s and 30s are lured overseas by the promise of easy money." The agency added, "We will continue to work closely with the Transnational Crime Special Response Task Force to prevent Southeast Asian scam crimes and protect victims. We will also make it clear that any criminal organization targeting Koreans will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice."