The Judiciary Police (PJ) have rescued a young local man from a Cambodian scam den with the help of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in Beijing and Interpol in Lyon, the PJ’s Anti-Fraud Coordination Centre Head Cheong Un Hong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
According to Cheong, the victim saw an overseas job advertisement on social media in September, purporting to offer a US$7,000 (56,000 patacas) monthly salary for “internet-related” work. Believing the claim to be genuine, the man applied via the contact details provided. Subsequently, the scam den employer arranged for him to travel via multiple stopovers to Cambodia, where he was compelled to participate in telecommunications network fraud activities, Cheong said.
According to Cheong, the victim’s family discovered his disappearance in October and reported the matter to the Judiciary Police on October 12.
Launching an investigation into his disappearance, the Judiciary Police promptly coordinated rescue efforts through the MPS in Beijing and Interpol in France, finally securing the victim’s safe return to Macau on Tuesday, Cheong said.
According to Cheong, upon the victim’s return, he was in a stable emotional state but told the police that he had not been received any money from the scam den operator during his time in Cambodia.
Cheong said that the Judiciary Police, thanks to cooperation with local and overseas law enforcement agencies, have been able to stop nine potential victims from travelling to Southeast Asian scam dens this year. The Judiciary Police urged the public not to trust online recruitment advertisements promising lucrative remuneration without requiring any particular skills, particularly for job opportunities in Southeast Asia.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Kim Fong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Armindo Neves
