India's Cyber Crime Unit Rescues Victims from Scam Operations in Cambodia

A recent FATF report reveals that India's cyber crime unit successfully located and rescued 81 Indian citizens from a scam compound in Cambodia. Utilizing open-source operations, the unit collaborated with local authorities to free the victims, who were victims of human trafficking. The report highlights the growing issue of scam networks in Southeast Asia, which have caused significant financial losses. This operation underscores the effectiveness of India's cyber crime coordination efforts in combating such illegal activities and protecting its citizens abroad.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 5, 2026, 17:20 IST

Significant Rescue Operation in Cambodia

A recent report from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reveals that India's specialized cyber crime center successfully identified the precise geographical location of a scam compound in Cambodia using open-source operations. This operation led to the safe rescue of 81 Indian citizens who had fallen victim to human trafficking orchestrated by the criminals behind the scam network. The FATF's report, released on Thursday, highlights the measures being taken to combat illegal financial flows associated with these scam compounds located in Southeast Asia. Since 2020, there has been a rapid increase in this scam model, resulting in annual losses amounting to billions of dollars.

The report details a specific case involving Indian nationals trapped in Bavet, the largest city in Cambodia's Svay Rieng province. According to the findings, an SOS message sent by the Indians held captive in a scam compound reached the Indian embassy in Phnom Penh in the latter half of 2025. The embassy promptly informed the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), requesting precise tracking of the location through open-source data. Subsequently, a two-day operation in collaboration with Cambodian authorities successfully freed all 81 individuals. Earlier, the government had reported in February that from 2022 to 2025, a total of 6,998 Indians had been rescued from scam centers in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

During inquiries into 15 Indian citizens repatriated from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar between 2023 and 2024, it was discovered that victims were primarily trafficked through Thailand and forced into cyber crimes. Recruitment fees ranged from ₹50,000 to ₹70,000, which often trapped them in debt. The FATF report indicates that while administrative tasks related to salary payments, IT, and infrastructure were managed internally within these scam compounds, the recruitment of trafficked individuals, illegal payment gateways, SIM card arrangements, virtual asset conversions, and data brokerage were outsourced to external networks.

The report commended the operational framework of India's I4C network, which facilitates victim reporting, financial intervention, infrastructure dismantling, and coordination among interstate law enforcement agencies. Launched in 2021, the 'Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System' (CFCRMS), integrated with the national cyber crime reporting portal, connects financial institutions, payment aggregators, and virtual asset service providers. This system has proven highly effective in real-time transaction tracking and swiftly freezing the assets and accounts of fraudsters.