The Indonesian Embassy In Cambodia Has Released 34 Indonesian Citizens Who Are Victims Of Online Work Scams Abroad.

JAKARTA - The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Phnom Penh together with the Cambodian Police managed to release 34 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who claimed to have been deceived and held captive in an online scam company in the Cambodian Poipet. "The majority of them came from North Sulawesi," said the Director of Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Legal Entities at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha in a statement received by Antara in Jakarta, Saturday, December 10. Judha said earlier on December 8, 2022, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh received a complaint from one of the Indonesian citizens representing 34 Indonesian workers. The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh immediately coordinated with local authorities so that on December 9, 2022, all 34 Indonesian citizens had been rescued by Cambodian authorities. The 34 Indonesian citizens, he said, are currently at the Poipet Police Office and are currently undergoing interviews for the investigation process. The process is estimated to be completed within one week before the Indonesian citizens were handed over to the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh for the repatriation process.

Judha said that the cases of Indonesian citizens who were victims of the online scam company in Cambodia continued to increase. From 2020 to October 2022, it was recorded that 679 Indonesian citizens were rescued and repatriated. However, new cases continue to emerge. He assessed that there needs to be firm steps for prevention from upstream by related parties in Indonesia, including local governments. These preventions include ensuring the departure of migrant workers according to procedures and increasing public awareness about the mode of employment fraud abroad through social media networks.