Why in news?
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) estimates that over half of the ₹7,000 crore lost to cyber scams in India from January to May 2025 originated from Southeast Asia.
Countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand are key sources, with scams often operated from high-security centres controlled by Chinese networks. These centres reportedly use trafficked individuals, including Indians, as forced labour in running these fraud operations, according to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
What’s in Today’s Article?
- Stock Trading and Investment Scams
- Southeast Asia-Based Cyber Scams
- Task-Based and Investment-Based Scams
- Digital Arrest Scams
Stock Trading and Investment Scams
- These scams promise high returns on stock market investments, cryptocurrency, or other financial products.
- Victims are contacted through social media, WhatsApp, or fake investment apps.
- Scammers pose as financial advisors or representatives from trading firms. They convince people to deposit money in fake accounts or platforms showing fake profits.
- Once a large amount is invested, the scammer disappears.
Digital Arrest Scams
- In these scams, people are tricked into believing they are under investigation by government agencies like the CBI, Income Tax Department, or Police.
- Victims receive fake calls or video calls where scammers, often wearing uniforms, say the person’s identity or bank account is linked to crimes like money laundering or drugs.
- They are threatened with arrest unless they pay a fine or security deposit immediately.
Task-Based and Investment-Based Scams
- These scams involve fake job offers or freelance work, where the victim is asked to complete small tasks and gets paid at first, building trust.
- The scam starts with simple tasks like liking YouTube videos or rating apps. Victims are paid small amounts at first.
- Later, they are asked to invest money to get larger commissions. Once a big investment is made, the scammer vanishes.
Southeast Asia-Based Cyber Scams
- MHA has estimated that over half of ₹7,000 crore lost to cyber scams from January to May 2025 originated from networks based in Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
- India faces an average monthly loss of ₹1,000 crore due to such scams, according to the I4C.
- Chinese-Controlled Scam Centres and Trafficked Workers
- The scams are reportedly operated from high-security compounds controlled by Chinese operators, where trafficked individuals, including over 5,000 Indians, are forced to work.
- People from Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, Europe, and the Americas have also been identified in these centres.
- Scam Hotspots
- Through intelligence inputs and survivor testimonies, the Indian government has identified at least:
- 45 scam centres in Cambodia
- 5 in Laos
- 1 in Myanmar
- Major Types of Cyber Frauds Identified
- Investigations revealed three primary scam categories:
- Stock trading and investment scams
- Digital arrest scams
- Task-based and investment-based scams
- Agents Recruiting Indians for Cyber Scam Work
- The Indian government has tracked down several agents hiring Indians for these operations.
- These agents are from Maharashtra; Tamil Nadu; Jammu & Kashmir; Uttar Pradesh; Delhi.
- Human Trafficking Routes Traced
- Rescued victims revealed various international travel routes used to traffic Indians to scam centres, including:
- Dubai → China → Cambodia
- Tamil Nadu → Cambodia
- Maharashtra → Thailand → Cambodia
- Delhi → Bangkok → Cambodia
- Kerala → Singapore/Vietnam → Cambodia
- Kolkata → Vietnam → Cambodia (by road)
- Government Response
- The Centre formed an inter-ministerial panel, identifying loopholes in banking, immigration, and telecom systems.
- The CBI has registered FIRs against PoS agents for issuing ghost SIM cards linked to these scams.
