How a job scam trapped Pakistani youth in Cambodia

KARACHI: A Pakistani youth who fell victim to a job scam in Cambodia has revealed chilling details of torture and forced cybercrime after being lured abroad with promises of a high-paying call centre job.

The young man, identified as Charles (name changed), belongs to a middle-class family in Karachi. He said he was offered a monthly salary of $1,000 for a call centre position in Cambodia. Trusting the offer, he travelled to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, only to discover that he had been deceived.

“Upon arrival, I realised I had been sold by the agent,” he said.

Charles was later shifted to Kampot city, where he was told he had been “selected” for the job. However, the following day at the office, he was informed that he had been sold to the operators for $2,300.

When he refused to participate in fraudulent activities, he said he was brutally tortured and locked in what he described as a “black room.” His passport and visa were confiscated, and he was forced to work for nearly a year.

Inside the Scam Network

Charles revealed that the call centres were operated by Chinese nationals. Workers were given Facebook accounts of female social media influencers and instructed to download years of content, including photos and videos dating from 2018 to 2025.

Using the stolen material, they created fake social media profiles and targeted wealthy men online. After building trust, they would move conversations to WhatsApp and lure victims into fake investment schemes promising high returns.

“We were forced to trap people into so-called lucrative investments and then rob them,” he said.

He added that workers who failed to bring in money were severely punished. “Those who couldn’t attract customers were tortured. Some of us were even electrocuted,” he claimed.

Rescue After Raid

After about 10 months, local security forces conducted a raid on the call centre, leading to the workers’ release.

Charles’ story highlights a growing crisis. Hundreds of Pakistanis have reportedly fallen victim to similar employment scams in Cambodia, where they are promised lucrative IT, engineering, or call centre jobs but are instead forced into cybercrime operations and subjected to abuse.

Recruitment networks are reportedly active in major cities, including Karachi and Lahore.