In clutches of scam syndicates

This photo taken on October 16, 2024 shows two Indonesian women whose husbands are now forced to work as scammers in Myanmar posing as they speak to AFP in Jakarta. Thousands of Indonesians have been enticed abroad in recent years to other Southeast Asian countries for better paying jobs, only to end up in the hands of transnational scam operators. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) / To go with 'INDONESIA-CRIME-SCAM-CAMBODIA-MYANMAR, FOCUS' by Marchio GORBIANO

Indonesian fruit seller Budi was seeking better prospects when he signed up for an IT job in Cambodia. But he found himself detained in a heavily-guarded compound, where he was forced to carry out online scams.

“When I arrived there, I was told to read a script,” Budi (not his real name) said on condition of anonymity.