Educated English speakers and university graduates are increasingly being targeted by scam centres offering attractive overseas jobs, according to the United Nations’ migration agency.
For Malaysians, the danger is already real. Between 2021 and 30 June 2026, authorities recorded 581 police reports involving 743 Malaysians stranded abroad after falling victim to job scam syndicates.
Although 621 victims have been rescued, another 122 Malaysians remain trapped in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
Fake Jobs Can Lead To Scam Centres
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said criminal groups frequently use social media to advertise jobs offering high salaries, free accommodation and opportunities to work abroad.
The positions may be presented as legitimate jobs in customer service, information technology, digital marketing, online sales or cryptocurrency.
However, after victims arrive, they may be transported to guarded scam centres, where their passports and identity documents are confiscated.
They are then controlled through violence, threats and debt bondage before being forced to carry out online fraud.
“We’re seeing so many more of these cases emerge right now,” IOM director-general Amy Pope said in Geneva on 28 July 2026.
The organisation has identified victims from more than 80 countries.
Scam Centres Want Educated English Speakers
Criminal syndicates are deliberately looking for workers who can communicate well and appear convincing online.
“They’re recruiting people who often speak English very well, who often have graduate degrees, some level of education,” Pope said.
These victims are valuable to scam centres because they can communicate with targets in different countries.
They may be ordered to carry out investment scams, cryptocurrency fraud, romance scams or other schemes that require them to gain a victim’s trust.
Those who fail to meet their daily targets may reportedly face beatings, threats, starvation or additional debt.
Many Malaysians Are Still Trapped Abroad
Malaysia’s Home Ministry said authorities are continuing efforts to rescue the 122 Malaysians still trapped in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
Between 1 January and 30 June 2026 alone, police received 21 reports involving 24 Malaysian victims of overseas job scams.
Rescue operations involve cooperation between the Royal Malaysia Police, the Foreign Ministry and Malaysian embassies in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
Malaysian authorities are also exchanging intelligence through Interpol, Aseanapol, regional anti-trafficking units and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
These partnerships are important because many scam centres operate in remote areas where enforcement is limited and criminal groups may control heavily guarded compounds.
Hundreds Of Thousands May Be Held In Scam Centres
Large scam centres have emerged across parts of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, with estimates suggesting they could collectively hold hundreds of thousands of workers.
Some reports estimate that as many as 300,000 people may be working inside these operations.
Although some knowingly participate in online fraud, the IOM stressed that many are victims of human trafficking.
“People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion,” Pope said.
Between 2022 and 2025, the IOM assisted more than 3,500 victims of forced criminality from nearly 40 countries.
Online Scam Losses Reached RM465.87 Billion
Citing estimates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the IOM said online scams caused losses of up to US$114 billion, or approximately RM465.87 billion, across East Asia, Australia and New Zealand last year.
The massive amount shows how scam centres have developed into highly organised criminal businesses operating across national borders.
In Malaysia, authorities have also dismantled 10 syndicates in the Klang Valley and Johor, arrested 29 local agents and rescued 40 victims.
The Home Ministry said action could be taken against masterminds and local agents under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Penal Code.
How Malaysians Can Identify A Fake Overseas Job
Malaysians should be cautious if an overseas job:
- Promises an unusually high salary despite requiring little experience.
- Is advertised only through social media or messaging applications.
- Provides no verifiable company address or official website.
- Offers vague job responsibilities.
- Requires applicants to travel immediately.
- Asks workers to surrender their passports.
- Requests payment for recruitment, visas or accommodation.
- Does not provide a proper employment contract.
Before travelling, jobseekers should verify the employer, recruitment agency, workplace address, employment contract and visa requirements.
They should also share copies of their passport, flight details, contract and employer information with family members. An overseas job that looks like an easy opportunity could instead lead to one of Asia’s scam centres.
Sources: 1| 2
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