Taiwanese citizens going to Cambodia to engage in the gray industry have seen a change in the landscape, with many convicted fraudsters hoping to strike it rich. A liaison officer from the Taiwan Criminal Police Bureau stationed in Ho Chi Minh City told the Central News Agency that in recent years, cases of violent murders among Taiwanese have been on the rise, with many people dying under mysterious circumstances abroad, urging those considering going not to gamble with their lives.
Taiwanese involvement in transnational telecommunications fraud rings in Cambodia has been rampant, with participants ranging from those who were initially “duped in,” to now many being criminal elements with a history of offenses. They venture into Cambodia for criminal opportunities but fall victim to murder due to internal conflicts within the criminal network, dying far from home.
According to the liaison officer from the Taiwan Criminal Police Bureau stationed in Ho Chi Minh City, statistics from the past year show that more than twenty Taiwanese individuals lost their lives in Cambodia due to various unclear reasons related to their participation in fraud rings, with many perpetrators hailing from Taiwan.
Cambodia serves as a global headquarters for fraud rings, with various operations targeting different markets and demographics. Taiwanese fraudsters mainly focus on Chinese-speaking populations worldwide; however, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, there have been instances of utilizing AI to deceive foreigners.
Officer Lin, in a phone interview with the Central News Agency on the 5th, expressed his concern, stating that he has witnessed too many Taiwanese fraudsters meeting tragic fates in Cambodia in recent years, advising those considering engaging in the gray industry there to think twice before acting.
He pointed out that members of Cambodian fraud rings are predominantly of Chinese nationality, outnumbering Taiwanese by nearly tenfold, with an increasing number of South Korean fraudsters in recent years. Their scams are constantly evolving, with various tricks up their sleeves and often incorporating current affairs. For instance, when Taiwan recently issued a subsidy of ten thousand yuan, a fraud ring immediately posted messages on social media platforms using current events to lure people in. “Traditional phone scams are on the decline nowadays as trust in such methods diminishes.”
Recruitment for fraud rings primarily occurs through personal introductions, with the majority of targets being individuals with previous fraud convictions. “They post messages in groups, seeking experienced fraudsters, and are less likely to recruit through fake job postings as before.”
However, some members only realize after arriving that the job is not as easy as they imagined, with minimal earnings, a high-stress environment, and the risk of facing consequences for poor performance. Many individuals, after just a few days on the job, realize things are amiss and hastily seek help to escape and return home.