Each person had 10 phones, but no freedom. Al Jazeera exposes how hundreds of workers, lured with promises of jobs, were trafficked into cyber scam hubs in Laos’ Golden Triangle. There, behind guarded doors and glowing screens, many faced threats and violence for failing to meet their daily fraud targets. What looks like digital hustle hides something far darker.
Behind the sleek digital fraud lies a brutal system of trafficking. Scam centres in Laos coerce trafficked victims to deceive people worldwide all under constant threat.
- Trafficked workers are forced to operate multiple phones to run online scams
- Many victims are lured from countries like India, Vietnam, and the Philippines with fake job offers
- Some scam centres were recently raided, leading to arrests and tech seizures
- Workers endure harsh conditions, violence, and constant surveillance
- Rescue operations by embassies have saved hundreds, but many remain trapped
The scam centres expose how cybercrime preys not only on online victims, but on those forced to carry it out.
