A journalist’s account of how people from poor countries are ‘enslaved’ to run cyber scams

Like many groundbreaking investigations, this global exposé began with a simple lead. In late February 2024, Farhaan Wasti, a friend from Dubai, contacted me about a situation involving a mother of two from my hometown.

Rose Jehan, a physiotherapist, had travelled to Dubai from Lucknow in search of employment. When job opportunities proved elusive, she accepted a digital marketing position offering a salary of Dh3,000, along with accommodation and meals.

For many South Asians facing unemployment in their home countries, it seemed like a lifeline. Little did Rose know, however, that this seemingly promising offer would soon reveal its dark side. Before long, she found herself ensnared in a cybercrime syndicate run by Chinese scammers engaging in forced labour and human trafficking.

In a desperate voice message to Farhaan, Rose described how she was held captive and forced to defraud people with promises of additional income, only to drain their bank accounts. Her passport had been confiscated and her phone remained under the custody of her employers from 7.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., during which period she impersonated a representative from a purported Mumbai-based company called Coin DCX Company. When I tried to reach her after work hours, she became frightened and hastily...

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