174 Malaysians stranded in foreign countries due to job scams

The Malaysian police said that 174 Malaysians who are victims of job scams are still stranded in foreign countries.

The police secretary Noorsiah Saaduddin said they had received 224 reports from family members and friends of 284 scam victims.

110 Malaysians had been saved.

The police will use all platforms to work together with agencies such as Interpol and Aseanapol to get rid of this issue. In a statement on Friday, the police are also in a special committee headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she advised Malaysians to be careful when accepting overseas job offers on social media and verify the authenticity of the employers with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She said that the police welcome the help of the community in reporting any information on the job scam syndicates activities so that further action can be taken.

The news about these scams started in the middle of last year.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are used by the syndicates to advertise high-paying jobs overseas in countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Once the victims are lured overseas and held against their will at the scam compounds, they are then taught and forced to cheat people online.

There are various types of scams, including phishing attacks, fraudulent online investments, and a variety of other types of scams.

The victims' travel documents and phones are usually seized by the syndicates. They are not allowed to leave the buildings or compounds and are forced to work for up to 15 hours a day.

Those who don't play ball with the scammers would find themselves beaten, starved and sold to other syndicates.