The exitence of human trafficking is not a new phenomenon, but technology has transformed the operation of this criminal enterprise. Rather than solely relying on the physical abduction of innocent victims, today’s traffickers use the internet to entrap those they wish to exploit to make abduction easier. With the use of fake job postings, social media ads, and messaging apps, it is now easier than ever to trap people across national borders. But what is cyber slavery? It’s a form of modern exploitation that begins with online deception and evolves into physical human trafficking. It deceives people from around the world with high-paying fake job offers, sometimes even promising paid flights and visas, only to kidnap them upon arrival, hold them captive in a compound controlled by organized crime groups, and force them to eventually scam others through various methods, such as romance and investment schemes. In this article, the specialists at PlasBit explore what is cyber slavery and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
A Real-World Example: Ali’s Story
Ali, a 33-year-old Pakistani man, was lured by a fake digital marketing job in Cambodia. This job promised a $1,200 monthly salary and reimbursement for his travel expenses. Ali was desperate for work, so he and his cousin, Ahmad, borrowed some $4,000 to pay for their visas and another $1,475 each for visa processing upon arrival. Unfortunately, things were not as they seemed, and upon arrival in Phnom Penh, they were taken to a heavily guarded compound where their passports were confiscated. In the compound, Ali worked in a call center-like setup with some 1,000 other trapped workers, scamming people daily into cryptocurrency and gaming investments. He earned $1,000 per month but stopped receiving wages after three months. Although Ali attempted to resign, these requests were denied unless he recruited two new workers. When he contacted the Pakistani embassy, his phone was destroyed and he was beaten. Five months after being captured, Ali’s co-worker secretly contacted the Cambodian police using a hotline created by the International Justice Mission (IJM). Ali and six other workers were rescued, though the Chinese-run scam operation quickly relocated.
Cyber Slavery is a Growing Problem
The largest operations of cyber slavery are located in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand. These nations have scam compounds in which victims are held and forced to commit fraudulent acts. The majority of the victims are either from Chine and India, however, there are also some in Africa and Europe. Job postings that look real and that promise big salaries to lure in the desperate. These operations generate billions of dollars each year, which makes them highly profitable. However, their true danger lies in how they use these profits to fuel the growth of these operations, allowing them to recruit more victims and build more scam compounds. Funds generated through cyber slavery are also used to bribe officials and evade law enforcement. As a result, victims are forced into executing large-scale frauds worldwide, including romance scams, fake investment opportunities, and counterfeit crypto exchanges.
The Organizations Behind the Exploitation
Small-time criminals do not run cyber slavery. Instead, it is highly organized networks with global reach that run it. Transnational crime syndicates are at the heart of cyber slavery. Powerful groups like the Chinese triads, Russian cyber mafias, and Southeast Asian militias pull the strings. These syndicates run large-scale scam compounds, often located in lawless jurisdictions like the border regions of Myanmar and the Sihanoukville province of Cambodia. They control everything about the operation and ensure that victims remain productive and trapped long enough to pay off their debts. Government corruption is also part of the problem. Regimes in countries like Cambodia and Myanmar have been accused of accepting bribes to ignore the cyber slavery that is taking place. Scam operations are allowed to be set up and run with little to no interference from law enforcement or military units. Some officials are directly tied to the operations, profiting from the sale of confiscated (and supposed) criminals to the other side. Border control and law enforcement have partnered to keep the victims from escaping. Some of the people implicated in this include:
● Chou Bun Eng, Vice Chair of Cambodia’s National Committee for Counter-Trafficking. He has publicly denied the scale of cyber slavery despite overwhelming evidence. This has raised questions about institutional complicity.
● In Myawaddy, the Karen National Army, formerly known as the Karen BGF is a Karen Buddhist ethnic army that colludes with Chinese crime syndicates to operate more than 40 scam compounds. Their leader, Colonel Saw Chit Thu, controls trafficking routes along the Thai-Myanmar border. Thai officials allege that Saw Chit Thu maintains ties with corrupt police in Tak province, Thailand.
● Wan Kuok Koi, a Macau-based triad leader identified by the U.S. Treasury as financing the Dongmei Zone scam hub, allegedly collaborates with partnering with the Karen National Army and uses his connections and financial networks to profit from forced labor and cyber scams.
Authorities and financial security advocates, including the experts at PlasBit, stress the need for user caution when making digital transactions to combat these illegal networks. Furthermore, by implementing blockchain transparency measures, authorities can make it harder for cyber slavery rings to funnel their illicit funds.
Why Do People Fall for Cyber Slavery Scams?
The main targets of cyber-slavery are vulnerable people, whether financially or emotionally, these online cons take advantage of this through a mix of deception and outright lies. Many of those who fall for the scams don’t understand they are being scammed until they are deep within the false job universe. What kinds of tactics do the scammers use? Here are a few: They post fake jobs and dangle enticing descriptions in front of job seekers. They make promises that lead to (false) hope and (false) security. They use (very low-tech) mind control to get people to do what they want.
Job Seekers Lured by High-Paying Offers
A lot of victims are hired through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Telegram, where traffickers put up phony job ads for IT, customer service, and crypto trading that reel in many young professionals and recent graduates. These job offers claim to pay well above local rates, making them seem like dream gigs.
Economic Desperation
Victims frequently come from China, India, Bangladesh, Africa, and Southeast Asia, where jobs are hard to come by. Promising a stable income and better living conditions makes cyber-slavery scams particularly potent. In some instances, traffickers go after people who are in financial distress, figuring that those most desperate for work are the most likely to take a risky job they wouldn't otherwise consider.
Fake Contracts and Interviews
Con artists work hard to look real. They make their operations seem so aboveboard that even the most dutiful among us might let down our guards. The Federal Trade Commission provides the following example: "You might receive a call or email going to great lengths to say you've been selected for a job in another country. Then, to tempt you further, they'll offer to pay for your travel to this 'new opportunity.'"
Forced Debt Bondage Upon Arrival
After victims arrive at scam centers, the first and usually most important step in the scamming process is to take away and secure the passengers' passports and phones. This done, the passengers can be assured that they are now safely out of reach of any friends, family, or authorities that might be looking for them. The next step in the process is a well-planned sequence of not only verbal but also - as you'll see - physical intimidation to coerce the would-be passengers into believing that they really aren't free and that their only way out is to start working - supposedly to pay off the enormous amounts they owe.
What is the Meaning of Cyber Slavery?
As a relatively new form of exploitation, not many people know about cyber slavery and how much of a problem it is becoming. This begs the question, What is the meaning of cyber slavery? In short, it refers to a form of modern slavery where individuals are trapped and exploited through digital means, often for scams through forced labor. It typically involves human trafficking, deception, and the use of technology to control victims. Heavily guarded compounds house these scam centers, where constant surveillance and the threat of violence protect the operation's sinister nature. Under this regime, many captives work not only on false calls to defraud victims but also under the illusion that they might escape the compound if they comply with demands to "work, work, work." Those failing even a modicum of those demands face beatings, starvation, or tortures of the kind that would make any sadistic guard in a prison blush. The rapid growth of cyber slavery is resulting in thousands of victims being kept in captivity across Southeast Asia, with operations expanding globally. Criminal organizations are using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to launder their stolen funds, making them virtually untraceable and leaving authorities with few options to shut down these networks.
How is Cyber Slavery Related to Human Trafficking?
Cyber slavery and human trafficking share some similarities, but there are distinctions between the two that make them different problems. How is cyber slavery related to human trafficking? It is a modern form of human trafficking that lures its victims through the cyberspace. Cyber slavery is unique in the way that it operates - people are unknowingly taken to scam centers thinking they are being sent to legitimate workplaces. In these compounds, they endure harsh conditions, long working hours, and often physical violence and abuse. Similar to conventional human trafficking, cyber slavery derives its profits from the exploitation of humans for financial gain. Instead of selling their victims for physical labor or sex work, traffickers force them to commit fraudulent activities online. Traffickers are making billions of dollars each year while their victims remain trapped and helpless.
What Are Cyber Slave Camps?
Just like during slavery in the 19th and 20th centuries when slaves were forced to work on farms and plantations, today’s cyber slaves are forced to work in camps. What are cyber slave camps? They are scam centers where victims of cyber slavery are taken. These camps are enclosed areas with armed guards in prison-like conditions, forbidding trafficked victims from escaping. Inside, the victims have no choice but to work long hours, scamming people through romance frauds, fake investment platforms, and cryptocurrency scams. Profits from these operations flow back to the crime syndicates that run the camps. These camps function like high-security prisons. The premises are patrolled by armed guards, every move is watched by a network of security cameras, and any escape attempt is met with overwhelming force. Torture and starvation are used to ensure that the escapees do not succeed. The captives have their passports and phones taken from them, and that makes it nearly impossible for them to communicate with anyone outside the camps.
Major Cyber Slave Camps Around the World
Lawless areas and countries with weak enforcement allow traffickers to operate with minimal interference and have given rise to cyber slavery hubs. Some of the biggest and most infamous cyber slave camps are:
Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, Laos
The Golden Triangle SEZ (GTSEZ) in Laos has become a focal point for modern-day cyber slavery. The 3,000-hectare zone in Bokeo Province was set up as a joint venture by the Lao government and Hong Kong-based Kings Romans Group in 2007. The zone was supposed to spur foreign investment and tourism, but it has instead become notorious for illegal activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, cyber crime, and wildlife smuggling. Although the GTSEZ operates under Lao sovereignty, it is effectively controlled by Zhao Wei, head of the Kings Romans Group. Wei has turned the GTSEZ into a largely autonomous region where Chinese currency, language, and infrastructure are the norm. The GTSEZ is central to the region’s shift from traditional narcotics production to synthetic drugs and cybercrime. The region historically produced opium and heroin, but methamphetamine is now the dominant illicit export. The UNODC reported that over one billion meth pills were seized across East and Southeast Asia in 2021, many linked to networks operating in and around the GTSEZ.
In recent years, the zone has also emerged as a global cyber scam center, where workers are forced to run fraudulent crypto and online investment schemes. These generate an estimated $500 million annually while being shielded by corrupt local officials and the zone’s semi-autonomous governance. Largely unchecked, the GTSEZ survives, despite numerous law enforcement crackdowns, because of its economic significance and the geopolitical sensitivities surrounding it. In 2018, the U.S. Treasury took action against Wei and the Kings Romans Group, but these sanctions have largely failed to have any significant impact. In 2024, Laotian authorities did make some progress when they raided scam centers and arrested hundreds of Chinese and Vietnamese people working there.
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Sihanoukville was once a peaceful coastal city, but nowadays, transnational crime syndicates rule the place. They take advantage of an unregulated economy and a government that’s known for corruption and a willingness to look the other way. The Chinese, under their Belt and Road Initiative, have poured money into the city, but local officials don’t even pretend to make these investments favorable to Sihanoukville’s citizens. They find ways to turn money into miserable conditions for the locals. And the way they seem to make money is by essentially torturing their victims. With an estimated $12 to $18 billion in yearly revenue, the cyber slavery business has become a cornerstone of Sihanoukville’s economy. A string of recent exposés, including articles by the Time and VICE news outlets, has revealed the con operation's unfortunate human toll. But according to those reports, efforts to rein it in have been hampered by widespread governmental corruption.
The cyber slavery economy in Sihanoukville is having a disastrous social and environmental impact. Tourism has dried up, land prices have skyrocketed, and apartments have been built to house the displaced. Despite the appearance of normality, the lives of the people in Sihanoukville are dominated by the cyber slavery economy. Billing clerks in major offices work only during the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. They occupy an 11-hour work shift, but they are only permitted to work under the cover of darkness, when it is far less likely that they will be detected by authorities.
KK Park, Myanmar
KK Park, a hub of cyber slavery and organized crime in Myanmar's Golden Triangle, shows just how weak governance and transnational syndicates can lead to human trafficking, online fraud, and even organ harvesting. Established around 2020, the park is an amazing place - if "amazing" is a stand-in for some of the more salacious of human activities. It houses, if you can believe it, an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 trafficked individuals. These people work for the park and do so only because they've been enslaved under conditions of extreme surveillance and brutality. And from what the Southern Poverty Law Center reports, the park's operation is largely to make money through cryptocurrencies. Victims of the scams, who are lured by the fake online advertisements, are contacted by agents for the scam syndicate after they've applied for what they think are high-paying IT jobs in Thailand. Once the victim has travelled to what they think is going to be their new workplace, they are greeted as if they're going to their new job. But almost immediately, they are abducted, and forced across the Moei River.
Once inside, the workers have their passports taken from them and are forced to work under near-slave conditions for 17 hours a day. Efforts to take down KK Park have been largely ineffective. The local ruling factions tend to look the other way, and the Thai authorities, who occasionally crack down on prima facie operations in the park, are by and large complicit. The border officials are corrupt; the financial institutions on both sides make bad friends, and together they enable a lavish money-laundering operation. Human trafficking has evolved with the internet to become one of the most dangerous and profitable forms of modern slavery. Cyber slave camps are quickly expanding and rapidly adapting to stay ahead of law enforcement in their net profits, but what makes these operations so threatening? With billions of dollars at stake, these are some of the most dangerous and disreputable businesses around.
Notable Cyber Slavery Rescue Efforts
Extracting victims from the cyber slavery scam centers where they are held captive is a hard job for our governments, NGOs, and international task forces to do. That is because those secure compounds are well hidden in remote locales. When the task forces get there, they are up against tight security and the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that the coyotes have been instructed to build. What these ransomed prisoners may have experienced prior to "cyber slavery" is run through the next few paragraphs as a list.
Indian Nationals Rescued from Cyber Slavery in Laos
In February 2024, the authorities of India brought home 47 Indian nationals rescued from a Laotian scam center where they had been forced to operate dating app scams. The victims had been lured to Laos with promises of high-paying jobs - instead, they had been held captive and enslaved in a scam economy. Indian diplomats spent weeks negotiating their release with the Laotian officials. The negotiations included a tacit threat to the scam artists that any further scamming would result in their being rounded up, with promises that the Laotian economy would be made safe for tourists again, no small matter for a country that relies heavily on tourism for income. Many of those saved were youthful professionals and recent graduates who had journeyed for what they thought were legitimate tech jobs. Later, in May 2024, 67 more Indians were freed from yet another cyber slavery operation, this one in Laos. These individuals had also been lured by fraudulent employment ads and thrust into scam operations under brutal conditions. The rescue was part of a larger effort by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and its embassies. Indeed, the story has become grim enough for the MEA to highlight this operation in its ministerial briefings. Cyber slavery has become an "international crisis," one that seems to have no ready end.
Crackdown on Cyber Slavery in Cambodia
A worldwide center for cyber slavery has developed in Cambodia, with thousands of souls trapped in scam compounds. In 2023 and early 2024, Indian authorities managed to stage multiple rescues of Indian nationals from these centers. The Indian embassies in Cambodia and Vietnam worked in coordination with local governments to free these victims. Many of them had been forced, under threat of death or dismemberment, to work in the fake cryptocurrency investment scam industry. Nevertheless, a considerable number of victims are still unaccounted for, as traffickers often relocate workers and pay off local officials to stop rescue attempts. Those who have escaped report being sold multiple times among various scam operations. This makes it very difficult for law enforcement to track both the operations and the locations of the victims.
Combating Cyber Slavery in the Digital Age
What is cyber slavery? It’s a rapidly growing form of modern human trafficking. This relatively new term describes an emerging form of trafficking that makes use of all the latest technologies: smartphones, computers, and even the Internet of Things, to trap victims. Another major characteristic of cyber slavery is that it predominantly captures people in the digital world. By the previous definition, however, aren't all slaves online? Aren't all trafficking victims online? Not necessarily. By using technology to capture and keep them, cyber slaves also generate huge amounts of money for their captors. The fight to end cyber slavery is being won by governments, NGOs, and law enforcement. These entities are working around the clock to accomplish several key objectives: rescuing victims, dismantling scam centers, and holding traffickers accountable. As cyber slavery continues to ensnare more unfortunate individuals, the mounting urgency to sunset this exploitative practice demands a threefold approach:
- Stronger international cooperation
- Stricter regulations on digital financial transactions
- Increased public awareness
The optimal strategy for defence is to educate and maintain vigilance. By noticing the red flags, dishonest job offers, salaries that are too good to be true, and strange hiring practices, you can ensure that neither you nor anyone you care about gets scammed. Cyber slavery depends on duping people, but awareness can help render that practice ineffective. Financial security experts at PlasBit emphasize the importance of secure and transparent crypto transactions to prevent falling victim to such scams. With cyber slavery fueling fraudulent investment schemes, it’s important that you only use trusted platforms that offer protection against suspicious transactions.
