KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — In the past, human trafficking crimes were mostly associated with the sex trade, but today, the focus has shifted toward recruiting “criminals” to engage in online fraud, extortion and money laundering.
The syndicates concerned lure their victims through job advertisements offering attractive salaries, often abroad, via social media and the Internet. After taking the bait, victims find themselves trapped by syndicates that claim they must repay “debts” incurred from the expenses of bringing them abroad.
According to experts, victims are forced to repay the so-called debts by working as online scammers for the syndicate.
They also said human trafficking for forced criminality has become increasingly prominent in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, over the past three years, and the situation is expected to worsen if the current gaps in legal frameworks, international cooperation, and enforcement are not improved.
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Four Malaysians who claimed to be victims of a job scam syndicate in Cambodia arrived safely in Malaysia from Phnom Penh, on April 19, 2022. — Picture via FACEBOOK/WISMA PUTRA[/caption]
Forced criminality
Commenting on human trafficking for forced criminality, Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Law senior lecturer and criminology expert Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid said it refers to the exploitation of victims through coercion or deception to carry out criminal activities for the trafficker’s economic gain or other benefits.
“This coercion can be either subtle or violent. The purpose of the recruitment is not properly disclosed (to the victim) and their (syndicate’s) main aim is to exploit individuals to commit crimes, with most of the victims sent abroad,” she told Bernama recently.
Victims are compelled to become, among others, scammers, drug mules, account mules, even terrorists, or support acts of violence.
Currently, one of the most common activities carried out by human traffickers is recruiting workers for scam centres.
Haezreena said that in the context of forced criminality, two scenarios may arise. In the first scenario, a person who is initially deceived or coerced into becoming a scammer chooses to stay and voluntarily join the syndicate after seeing the lucrative income.
“In the second (scenario), the person who is deceived with an offer of legitimate employment and later forced to commit crimes such as online fraud, is left without any option to leave the cycle of exploitation,” she said.
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Several of the 24 Malaysians who were successfully brought home by the Foreign Affairs Ministry from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, after being freed from captivity as victims of job scams, at the arrival lobby of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2), Sepang, on September 9, 2022. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
Modus operandi
Most of those who fall for the attractive job advertisements placed on social media and the Internet by human traffickers comprise teens and youths in their 20s and 30s.
“Youths from these age groups are often eager to explore ways to earn more income and build a career. When they see an appealing job offer overseas with salaries advertised in dollars or euros, it becomes even more enticing,” Haezreena said.
Interested youths would contact the number provided in the advertisement.
“After that, someone will respond and provide even more attractive details about the job offer. Once the individual agrees, they are given further instructions and information about where to go. At this point, everything appears legitimate.
“Usually, the syndicate’s modus operandi does not differ much from standard procedures. For example, when we want to travel abroad, we must get our passport ready, fill in forms and so on.
"However, sometimes, they (victims) are told to transit to another country before continuing to their intended destination. For instance, if the final destination is Taiwan or a Western country, they might be asked to transit in Bangkok (Thailand).
"That is when incidents such as abductions and being taken to another location occur,” she said.
This marks the beginning of a new chapter for deceived youths, who are taken to an unknown place, locked up and recruited to become scammers or engage in other illicit activities.
Those recruited to become scammers end up working at call centres operated by the syndicates.
“There are many types of scams, such as Macau scam, romance scam — all with the same goal, which is making money.
“The only capital needed is persuasive speech to lure victims into trusting the caller, who is usually assisted by two or three others posing as bank officers or police,” Haezreena said.
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A group of Malaysians rescued from job scams in two Myanmar border towns await their repatriation in Tak, Thailand, on February 17, 2025. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
Worrying
In Malaysia, the police have been quoted as saying that 504 Malaysians were rescued from Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and other countries, but she said only 10 per cent of them were confirmed to have been actual victims of human trafficking.
“The majority were individuals who had voluntarily become scammers and only sought rescue after being threatened or abused for failing to meet profit targets set by the syndicates.
“Some of them became agents themselves, recruiting fellow Malaysians to become scammers abroad. Upon returning home, some refused to cooperate with the authorities,” Haezreena said.
Another major concern is that forced criminality takes place in various business premises, including casinos, hotels, and entertainment centres.
“Many of these operations are conducted in enclosed or gated areas where victims are confined and forced to commit cybercrimes such as international financial fraud,” she said.
As such, Haezreena called for amendments to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, as it currently does not clearly define forced criminality as a form of exploitation.
Section 2 of the Act defines types of trafficking for the purpose of exploitation, but it does not explicitly mention forced criminality.
“So, the Act should be amended to include this form of crime,” she said.
Acknowledging that the authorities have made substantial efforts to raise public awareness about scams, Haezreena also noted that Malaysia currently does not have specific legislation to address scams and relies on Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud-related cases.
Despite regional efforts to combat forced criminality, three main challenges persist. The first is conceptual confusion, as many still associate human trafficking with only forced labour and sexual exploitation, even though criminal exploitation is also globally recognised.
“Secondly, there are difficulties in investigating and prosecuting those involved. This is because these syndicates operate across borders with complex structures and advanced technology, making legal action challenging.
“Thirdly, there is a lack of international legal cooperation. Although Malaysia is part of the Bali Process, effectively combating these crimes requires stronger cross-border collaboration, including mutual assistance in criminal investigations and extradition,” she said.
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A view of the 25 Malaysians who were victims of job scam syndicates in Myawaddy, Myanmar, upon their return to the country at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security Complex in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, on March 12, 2025. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
Stricter controls needed
Meanwhile, commenting on human trafficking for forced criminality, Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim said that in terms of strategy, the trend shows that from 2023 to 2025, social media platforms like Facebook are no longer used to hunt for victims but are instead used to recruit agents.
“Most of these agents comprise personal contacts who recruit through direct networking, where Agent A recruits Agent B and these agents then recruit young people to work in, for example, scam centres in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
“This new tactic uses recruiting agents who leverage peer influence to convince young people that working abroad is not only trouble-free but also assures high incomes as well. Eventually, these young people agree to go and end up as trafficking victims,” he said.
Acknowledging that such crimes are hard to control due to the massive profits made by syndicates, Hishamuddin said more awareness is needed, along with tighter border controls to prevent youths from reaching scam locations.
“Parents must pay close attention to their children and ensure they are not easily swayed by empty promises made by friends who may be trying to recruit them into becoming scammers,” he said.
The authorities must also enforce strict laws against those involved in trafficking syndicates, adding that actions must also be cross-border in nature.
“If the crime occurs in countries like Cambodia or Laos, we must utilise the ASEANAPOL (Chiefs of Asean Police) platform to facilitate arrests and hand over suspects to Malaysia for investigation.
“This means Interpol must coordinate with ASEANAPOL so that an extradition process can take place, enabling proper investigations and prosecution,” Hishamuddin said.
To date, not a single human trafficking case of this nature has resulted in imprisonment, with most only reaching the prosecution stage.
“No one has been convicted in connection with these crimes yet, which is why there is little fear of engaging in scam activities. The difficulty in investigation and prosecution due to the cross-border nature of the crime makes enforcement challenging,” he said.
With Malaysia currently chairing Asean, the country must use the opportunity to pressure member states to shut down scam compounds or centres in their respective territories.
“If these scam compounds are dismantled, it will put an end to the issue of victims being coerced into working as scammers,” Hishamuddin said.
— Bernama
