When I first started hearing about these scam networks, I thought they were just like a scaled up call centre where they have people make scam calls day and night. Mark Rober and another YouTuber...
When I first started hearing about these scam networks, I thought they were just like a scaled up call centre where they have people make scam calls day and night. Mark Rober and another YouTuber had some prank videos about things like that, where the people seem to be employed knowingly to make white collar crime calls worldwide, scamming gift card codes and stealing credit cards.
But reports of kidnapping, torturing, inhumane slavery conditions, and hurting folks for ransom from family seems much more concerning. There are testimonials of Hong Kongers or Chinese or Taiwanese individuals being lured to these countries presumably for a vacation with an acquaintance or employment, then they have their IDs confiscated and are moved to these slavery camps. Sometimes it's legit call from an acquaintance because they're told they can go home if they lure x number of people as trade.
So, while it's definitely a good thing governments are working to stop them, there is also a cynnical part of me wondering how much are the governments working together on these or at least turning a blind eye.
Last year, Chinese actor Wang Xing (王星) was rescued within days of his abduction: lost contact with girlfriend and brother Jan 3, they went public on social media Jan 5, negotiations between Myanmar and Thailand then released to Thailand Jan 7, arrived back home in China Jan 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Wang_Xing
Another actor, Fan Hu (范虎), who was also in a similar situation, said that the fake crew was very familiar with the entertainment industry and its practices, and came across as professional in their conversational skills. In Fan's experience, after Fan had checked in at a hotel in Bangkok, he contacted the director listed for the work directly who told him that he was being scammed.
These are well organized and well connected crime rings that each of these governments at least know about.
When I first started hearing about these scam networks, I thought they were just like a scaled up call centre where they have people make scam calls day and night. Mark Rober and another YouTuber had some prank videos about things like that, where the people seem to be employed knowingly to make white collar crime calls worldwide, scamming gift card codes and stealing credit cards.
But reports of kidnapping, torturing, inhumane slavery conditions, and hurting folks for ransom from family seems much more concerning. There are testimonials of Hong Kongers or Chinese or Taiwanese individuals being lured to these countries presumably for a vacation with an acquaintance or employment, then they have their IDs confiscated and are moved to these slavery camps. Sometimes it's legit call from an acquaintance because they're told they can go home if they lure x number of people as trade.
So, while it's definitely a good thing governments are working to stop them, there is also a cynnical part of me wondering how much are the governments working together on these or at least turning a blind eye.
Last year, Chinese actor Wang Xing (王星) was rescued within days of his abduction: lost contact with girlfriend and brother Jan 3, they went public on social media Jan 5, negotiations between Myanmar and Thailand then released to Thailand Jan 7, arrived back home in China Jan 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Wang_Xing
These are well organized and well connected crime rings that each of these governments at least know about.