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UN warns trafficking networks are forcing educated English speakers into scams
The IOM says victims are being recruited from more than 80 countries and the cases are expanding across Asia.
The UN migration agency is warning that criminal networks are trafficking hundreds of thousands of people, including educated English speakers, into online scam centers, as the caseload grows, the Associated Press reports.
The International Organization for Migration says many victims are lured by fake job advertisements, often promoted through social media, that promise work abroad but can end in people being locked up, having identity documents seized, and being forced to participate through violence, threats, and debt bondage.
IOM Director General Amy Pope said in Geneva that the recruited targets often speak English well and may have graduate degrees, with the cases “specifically playing out across Asia.” She also said victims come from more than 80 countries.
Pope added that those trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking and are forced to commit crimes through coercion, and she urged coordinated action to support survivors, stop traffickers, and close the gaps the networks exploit.