Trafficking networks are increasingly using fake vacancies online to lure thousands of people into forced labour, the UN International Organization for Migration has warned.
In an alert issued on Tuesday, the agency expressed concern over the expanding, multibillion-dollar criminal industry that turns job seekers into cybercriminals.
IOM Director General, Amy Pope, noted that victims from more than 80 countries are being trafficked into the scam centres, particularly across Asia.
The official told journalists in Geneva that syndicates target people who speak good English and often hold degrees, advertising what resemble normal jobs on social media.
The victims are locked inside compounds, stripped of their passports and phones, and monitored. Many are beaten or threatened and compelled to run global fraudulent schemes.
“They’re often subjected to physical or mental abuse. They are often unable to leave,” Pope added, saying most sufferers travel on a tourist visa rather than a work permit.
