To Ali, it seemed like a great way to make more money. The 23-year-old earned $350 per month as a cleaner in a factory at home in Malaysia. But in April, he was purportedly offered a job in Cambodia making four times as much working in finance, despite having no prior experience in the field.
Shortly after flying to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, Ali realized he had been duped. His passport was taken, and he was driven to a compound where he says he was trapped. Armed guards stood by the doorways to prevent him from fleeing.
“I was their slave,” said Ali, whose name has been changed because he fears the syndicate he escaped from might come after him.
He slept in tight quarters with other victims who were all forced to work 15 hours a day in an online fraud factory, trying to coax people into cryptocurrency scams. They met the people they targeted through social media, as well as dating apps, and they tried to develop an online friendship or romance to gain their trust. But Ali says he was such a bad con man that he was frequently assaulted by his captors.
“The punishments are like the ones during the time of the pharaohs [of ancient Egypt],” Ali said. He described getting beaten across his face, arms, stomach and legs.
“I cried, I asked for help from Allah to ease my situation so I can get out of this hell,” Ali said. “They were cruel. They hit me so hard that I was dazed. They gave me black eyes.”
