A major revelation regarding cyber fraud has emerged, where about 30,000 Indians who traveled on tourist visas have not returned. It is suspected that these individuals were made cyber slaves and are being coerced into committing cyber crimes.
The Bureau of Immigration (BoI), which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has compiled data that reveals 73,138 passengers traveled from India to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam on visitor visas between January 2022 and May 2024.
Out of these, 29,466 Indians have not yet returned. Nearly half, around 17,115, are between the ages of 20-39. This information was obtained from a report by the Indian Express. Around 90 percent of these are men.
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Among those who have not returned, the highest numbers are from Punjab (3,667), Maharashtra (3,233), and Tamil Nadu (3,124). The numbers from other states are considerably lower. According to reports, it is suspected that these individuals are being pressured to commit cyber fraud against people living in India. They were lured with job offers and then made cyber slaves.
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People working under cyber slavery are pressured into targeting others through various internet platforms. Many of these individuals, being Indian, can speak Hindi and local languages, making it easier to lure victims, who then lose significant amounts of money.
Sources cited in the Indian Express report state that a high-level committee of the central government has now directed all states and union territories to conduct verifications and gather details about these individuals. It is worth noting that several cases of cyber fraud have recently emerged in India, where people have been deceived and robbed through various scams.
