Sawt Falasteen - Over 1,400 Indonesians leave Cambodian scam groups in five days: embassy

Scammers working from hubs across Southeast Asia, some willingly and others trafficked, lure internet users around the world into fake romances and cryptocurrency investments, netting tens of billions of dollars each year.

Some foreign nationals have evacuated suspected scam compounds across Cambodia this month as the government has pledged to "eliminate" problems related to the online fraud industry, which the United Nations says employs around 100,000 people in the country.

Between January 16 and 20, 1,440 Indonesians left sites operated by online scam syndicates and went to the Indonesian embassy in the capital Phnom Penh for help, the mission said in a statement.

The "largest wave of arrivals" occurred on Monday when 520 Indonesians turned up, the embassy said.

Indonesian Ambassador Santo Darmosumarto said law enforcement agencies in both nations would be tasked with determining whether the arrivals had been perpetrating fraud willingly or had been forced to do so under the threat of violence.

However, he told AFP, "we haven't identified any clear indications that, at the moment, any of them (were)... victims of human trafficking," adding they showed no visible evidence of physical abuse.

Asked whether any could face criminal charges, he said the embassy was working to ensure "at least a sample" of the repatriated Indonesians would undergo a process to "find out how they were involved" in scam activities.

Many of those arriving at the embassy did not have passports and were staying in Cambodia without valid immigration documents, the embassy has said.

- 'Something of a change' -

According to Santo, Indonesia was "optimistic" about recent measures by Cambodian authorities against scam operators.

"It's an effort that is real because I think you are seeing the results. And the result is that a lot of these compounds are closing up their shop," he said.

"The fact that there are so many people in front of our embassy is a clear indication that this is something of a change."

"We are seeing that more Indonesians are saying that they want to go back to Indonesia now."

But a scam industry expert this week noted alleged links between Cambodian officials and cyberscam networks, and said previous crackdowns had amounted to "performative acts".

The latest measures were likely part of a strategy to relocate scam equipment, managers and workers, Mark Taylor told AFP, adding that the industry would undoubtedly carry on.

Indonesia said this week that more than 80 percent of all the consular service cases it handled for its citizens in Cambodia last year concerned people who "admitted to being involved with online scam syndicates".

From January 1 to 20, at least 1,576 Indonesians left scam sites in Cambodia, the embassy said in a statement to AFP.

Cambodia arrested and deported Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, accused of directing multibillion-dollar internet scam operations from Cambodia, to China this month.

Chen, a former adviser to Cambodia's leaders, was indicted by US authorities in October.

I.Saadi--SF-PST