Jaipur, Aug 11 (IANS) The Rajasthan Police have issued an advisory cautioning young people and their families against fraudulent overseas job offers that can turn into a trap of “cyber-slavery” or digital bondage, officials said on Tuesday.
Acting on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Kumar Sharma, the Cyber Crime Branch of the Rajasthan Police has urged job seekers to remain vigilant while responding to advertisements and recruitment offers promising lucrative employment abroad.
Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), V.K. Singh, said that international cyber-fraud syndicates are increasingly targeting unemployed and ambitious youth by offering them attractive salaries, free accommodation and other benefits in Southeast Asian countries.
According to the advisory, countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are being used by criminal networks to lure victims with seemingly genuine employment opportunities.
Young people, particularly those seeking quick employment and high-paying jobs, may be persuaded to travel abroad after being promised positions in sectors such as customer service, data entry, digital marketing or other office-based work.
However, upon reaching the destination, victims may find themselves in a completely different situation. Their passports, identity documents and mobile phones may be confiscated, restricting their ability to leave or contact their families.
In some cases, they may be confined to guarded premises and threatened or coerced into carrying out online scams. The victims can then be forced to deceive people through fake investment schemes, fraudulent customer-support operations, cryptocurrency scams and other forms of cybercrime.
Those who refuse to comply may allegedly face physical or psychological intimidation.
The Rajasthan Police have advised youth and their families to verify the credentials of foreign employers and recruitment agencies before accepting any overseas job offer. They have also been urged to check employment contracts, visa details and the legitimacy of travel and accommodation arrangements.
The advisory further cautions against making large advance payments to unknown agents or travelling abroad solely on the basis of social-media advertisements or messages offering unusually high salaries.
The police stressed that an attractive overseas job offer should not come at the cost of personal safety and freedom.
Families have also been encouraged to stay in regular contact with relatives travelling abroad for employment and immediately report any suspicious recruitment activity or signs of coercion to the authorities.
–IANS
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