‘We were promised tech jobs’: South Korea cracks down on repatriated scam workers from Cambodia

SEOUL: South Korea is moving to detain 58 of the 64 citizens recently brought home from Cambodia, as authorities dig deeper into a sprawling investigation into global online scam networks.

The individuals — many of them young, some allegedly coerced — had been arrested in Cambodia over the past few months, suspected of working in cybercrime rings that operate across Southeast Asia. They arrived back in South Korea over the weekend and are now facing charges related to a wide range of digital fraud, including voice phishing, romance scams, and a disturbing new tactic known as “no-show” fraud — where fake bookings or purchases are made, only for the money to disappear with the scammers.

One person is already in custody, and police say court approval has been requested to detain 58 more. Investigators are also reviewing claims that at least four of the returnees were held captive and beaten by the very scam networks they were allegedly involved with.

For South Korean authorities, this is not just about criminal acts and lawbreaking — it’s about the murkier mesh of manipulation that drives it.

The hidden cost of digital crime

These cases cast a severe light on the felonious underworld that has been embedded all over Southeast Asia — one constructed not just on ruse and trickery, but on human anguish. The United Nations says that compound housing fraudulent activities in the region now take in billions annually, banking on involuntary labour to drive their operations.

What commences as a promise — a high-paying tech job overseas — repeatedly ends in a terrifying nightmare. Workers are brought to countries like Cambodia, then have their passports commandeered. Then comes the violence, threats, and 16-hour days running online scams targeting people around the world.

Earlier this year, the tragic death of a South Korean student in Cambodia — lured by a job offer that turned out to be a trap — captured national attention. He never made it home. His story became a rallying cry, forcing the government to act.

A travel ban, a task force, and growing pressure

In response, South Korea issued a rare “code-black” travel ban for parts of Cambodia — its highest-level warning. The government also launched a dedicated task force to help rescue and repatriate its citizens from scam compounds and negotiate the release of those being held against their will.

Officials estimate that over 1,000 South Koreans may still be trapped in these operations across Cambodia. Region-wide, the total number of scam workers may be as high as 200,000 — many of them victims themselves.

Last week, the UK and the US added to the pressure, imposing sanctions on the Cambodia-based Prince Group, a powerful conglomerate accused of orchestrating vast online fraud and trafficking rings. According to British officials, the group used fake job ads to lure in workers, who were then imprisoned and forced to scam under the threat of torture.

“We will follow every lead”

South Korean police say their investigation is far from over.

A police spokesperson said that authorities intend to pursue all leads related to the Cambodian scam networks, including the kidnapping, abuse, and unlawful detention of Korean nationals.

But who is really responsible — the ones perpetrating the fraudulent activities, or the people making the orders behind the scenes?

One thing is clear — the upsurge of digital deceptions is no longer just financial risks — they’ve become a human catastrophe. And for those caught in the crossfire, the road to justice is just beginning.