In a shocking case that highlights a disturbing new trend in cybercrime, the Pimpri Chinchwad police have uncovered a harrowing account of cyber slavery while investigating a separate online share fraud. The incident came to light after police detained a 37-year-old man from Ratnagiri for questioning.
From Job Promise to Digital Captivity
During interrogation, the man shared a traumatic experience that began in April 2023. He responded to a job advertisement on a social media platform offering a data entry position in a Southeast Asian country. The offer promised a lucrative monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh, with the company covering all lodging and boarding expenses.
Lured by the prospect, he traveled from Mumbai to the foreign country. Upon arrival, his nightmare began. Company officials confiscated his passport and presented him with a sinister new job description. Instead of data entry, he was ordered to make calls through a mobile messaging app to execute online share frauds.
Torture and Coercion in a Digital Sweatshop
When he refused to participate in the scams, the perpetrators resorted to extreme measures. "They subjected me to physical torture to the point where I was forced to carry out their instructions," the victim told investigators. He described a grim environment where about 50 people, including some women and other Indian and Bangladeshi nationals, were held captive.
Those who resisted faced brutal punishment. "Those who refused to toe their line were administered electric shocks," he revealed. Some captives, seeing no escape, eventually accepted the role of luring more people, particularly Indians, through the same messaging apps.
A Harrowing Escape and Police Warning
The victim worked under duress for three to four months but was deemed a "poor performer" because he failed to successfully defraud anyone. His captors did not pay him any salary. To secure his release, they forced him to call his family in India to arrange and pay for his return air ticket. Before letting him go, they wiped all data from his phone and threatened him with dire consequences if he ever spoke about his ordeal.
Living in fear, the victim remained silent until his recent detention by the Pimpri Chinchwad police provided a safe context to share his story. Commenting on the case, Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey issued a stern warning. "We are receiving complaints of people being forced into cyber slavery by way of job lures abroad," he stated. He urged young job seekers to thoroughly verify agents, companies, visas, and job contracts before accepting any foreign assignment.
This case exposes the dark underbelly of modern human trafficking, where digital platforms are used to ensnare victims who are then coerced into becoming tools for large-scale cyber fraud. Authorities are now on high alert for similar modus operandi targeting vulnerable job seekers.
