A major investigation by Indian central agencies has revealed a Pakistan link in the Cambodia job scam that trapped and exploited thousands of Indians with fake employment offers. The scam first came to light in 2024, when more than 5,000 Indians were suspected of being stranded in Cambodia after being lured abroad with promises of well-paying jobs. Instead, many of them were allegedly forced into cybercrime activities under harsh conditions. While several victims have since been rescued and brought back to India, investigations into the racket are still ongoing.

According to sources familiar with the probe, a high-level investigation has uncovered that Pakistani agents played a role in recruiting Indian victims for these scam operations. “After returning from these scam compounds, a number of victims informed officials of central agencies that they were recruited by Pakistani agents,” a source said. The information provided by the victims became a key lead in the investigation.

During forensic examinations, investigators analysed digital evidence such as recruitment chats, call records, and technical data. The analysis reportedly pointed towards Pakistan. “During forensic examination, digital footprints, including IP logs from recruitment chats and calls, pointed to operatives in Pakistan,” the source said. Further examination of these IP addresses revealed that they were linked to servers and handlers based in Pakistan.

“On the basis of their information, forensic analysis of such IP addresses were examined, and they have been traced to servers and handlers based in Pakistan, revealing a coordinated network that preyed on vulnerable job-seekers from places like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Mumbai, Telangana and Kerala,” the source added. These job-seekers were reportedly targeted through social media platforms and messaging applications.

The issue was also discussed at the two-day “Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025” held in December, according to the source. The matter is being treated as a serious national concern due to its scale and impact on Indian youth.

“This is not just a cyber-fraud racket — it’s a targeted operation exploiting our youth,” the source said. The source further added that central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have expanded the scope of their investigation to identify all those involved in the network.

As part of the action taken, the central agencies have registered the traced IP addresses in the ‘suspect registry’. This registry has been created based on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The registry contains data of 1.4 million cyber criminals involved in financial fraud and various cybercrimes, and this information has been shared with banks across the country.

Official data shows that the suspect registry has played a crucial role in preventing financial losses. With its help, 5,54,865 bank accounts that received fraudulent money have been frozen. In addition, 15,10,800 unique accounts have been identified, and approximately Rs 7,980 crore has been saved after nearly 20 lakh fraudulent transactions were rejected.

An official explained that cyber scams targeting Indians are mainly run by Chinese operators from high-security compounds in Southeast Asia. In these compounds, victims of human trafficking, including Indians, are forced to work under coercive conditions.

According to fresh data compiled by the I4C, Indians have lost over Rs 52,976 crore to fraud and cheating cases over the past six years. “The Indian economy faces a loss of over Rs 1,000 crore every month to such crimes. Over 20,000 Indians are estimated to be working in these scam compounds situated in Southeast Asia. After pressure from many countries, especially the US, the business has started shifting to Dubai,” the official said.

The official also highlighted the methods used to trap victims. “Many were lured via social media and messaging apps with promises of high-paying jobs in casinos and call centres, only to face forced labour, physical abuse, and organ trafficking threats upon arrival,” the official said.

Investigations are continuing as agencies work to dismantle the network and prevent further exploitation of Indian job-seekers abroad.