Border guards in Tay Ninh Province receive 45 Vietnamese nationals from Cambodia on July 16.
Most of the returnees are young people from various provinces across Vietnam who had been found residing illegally in Cambodia and were subsequently deported.
Initial screening by Vietnamese authorities revealed that six of the individuals have prior criminal records involving fraud, extortion, illegal drug possession, robbery, theft, gambling, and theft. One person is currently subject to a travel ban.
According to their statements, the individuals had crossed into Cambodia after responding to social media invitations and advertisements promising easy, high-paying jobs. Upon arrival, however, they were forced to work for online scam operations.
Their main tasks included using social media platforms and emulator apps to approach and defraud users.
Some were compelled to impersonate officials from electricity, taxation, or cyber security departments in order to call and deceive victims, primarily economically well-off women. Those who refused or failed to meet performance targets were reportedly threatened, physically assaulted, and subjected to psychological and physical torture.