Despite numerous warnings by the authorities concerning job scams, many Malaysians still fall for it and eventually find themselves being taken to scam centres at various countries such as Cambodia and Laos.
A young man was lucky to find himself getting out of one after he was tricked and taken to Laos by a woman he met through an online game.
Travelled to Ipoh to meet woman
According to Kwong Wah, the man named Jake (not his real name) said he met a woman in her 20s through an online game and was invited to meet up with her in Ipoh.
Thinking that there was no harm in meeting her, Jake drove to Ipoh from Penang on Feb 7 and told his family that he would be away for a getaway.
Upon arriving in Ipoh, he saw a man in the driver’s seat and the woman he met online. He then got into the car without a second thought as he believed it was safe.
M’sian man finds himself in Laos
However, things quickly took a turn for the worst as soon as Jake entered the car, where the woman put a hood over his head.
As soon as I got in, she covered my head, and everything went dark. I lost consciousness and when I woke up, I was already in the Golden Triangle.”
“During my time there, I was forced to learn how to scam people but I couldn’t quite grasp it. Two weeks later, the company shut down for unknown reasons, leaving me stranded alone,” he recounted.
However, Jake said his life in Laos was relatively normal and wasn’t physically abused by his captors.
Contacted family for help
Thankfully, Jake was given back his handphone when the scam centre shut down, allowing him to contact his family.
His sister then called the Malaysian Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) for help, who eventually managed to arrange for Jake’s safe return to Malaysia.
Watch MHO secretary general Hishamuddin Hashim explain how Jake was tricked by the woman here:
@ihishamuddinhashim Terpedaya dengan "Girlfriend Online" dan kemudian dijual ke Golden triangle. #goldentriangle @apix_boss ♬ original sound – Hishamuddin Hashim
Be wary of strangers you meet online and don’t agree to meeting up with them physically too quickly!
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