Malaysian victims of job scam syndicates overseas easily swayed by online campaigns: Minister

ALOR SETAR, Kedah: Malaysian job scam victims who find themselves stranded in foreign countries are those easily swayed by advertisements found on social media, said its Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Sunday (Jun 11). 

Mr Saifuddin said that the root cause of becoming a victim of job scams is the tendency to be easily manipulated into believing social media campaigns offering a lucrative income, comfortable accommodation and paid plane fares, among others, when offered to work abroad.  

"When they get (to the destination country) things are not as promised and some are able to contact the police," he said, according to Bernama. 

He also said that family members or parents of victims would lodge a missing person report or seek help to locate them abroad.

Separately, Mr Saifuddin said that he has not received any updates on 22-year-old Malaysian woman Chong Sum Yee who was initially believed to be missing in Thailand. He added that Ms Chong's disappearance has been left to the police to investigate. 

Ms Chong reportedly left for Chiang Mai on May 29 and travelled 250 kilometres to the northern district of Mae Sai in the province of Chiang Rai, Thailand. Mae Sai is near the Myanmar town of Tachilek where cases of human trafficking had previously been reported.

According to Bernama, Thai police said last Thursday that based on initial investigations, Ms Chong had crossed the Thai border into Tachilek. 

“We are working closely in trying to locate her (Ms Chong) and secure her safety,” Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand Jojie Samuel was quoted as saying by Bernama. 

Ms Chong was last contacted by her family on Jun 1. Her mother, Ms Chee Choy Won, said that Ms Chong had told her that she was in Thailand on work matters but this was denied by her employer.

According to the Bangkok Post, citing official sources, Ms Chong had gone to a river pier in Mae Sai before her family lost contact with her. 

The sources said that Ms Chong checked in to a hotel near the Mae Sai border checkpoint on May 29. Ms Chong was reportedly seen in a surveillance camera footage sitting in the lobby of a hotel before she was greeted by a woman. The two were then seen walking out of the hotel.

Ms Chong was also seen riding on a motorcycle towards the border, according to the Bangkok Post. The motorcyclist, who was found by officials, reportedly said that Ms Chong paid her 500 baht (US$14) to go to the pier. She did not know if Ms Chong crossed the border.

The signal from Ms Chong’s mobile phone disappeared at the border and Thai officials reportedly said that she might have entered Myanmar using an unofficial border crossing point.

Last Wednesday, a woman believed to be Ms Chong appeared in three online videos, according to Bernama. The woman pleaded with a smiling face for the police to stop bothering the driver who sent her there as the driver knew nothing about her situation.

However, Ms Chee said that her daughter has yet to contact the family.

Ms Chee also said that she does not believe the videos of her daughter claiming she is “safe and healthy” as they were uploaded by a new Facebook account named “Moe Aye”.

According to Bernama, the 50-year-old woman said her daughter was also difficult to get in touch with and had been avoiding questions about her whereabouts.

“We talked for a few minutes last night, (Ms Chong) said she was safe and asked us not to look for her and to withdraw the police report but she was talking quite fast, like in a hurry.

“Every time I asked her where she was, she didn't answer and repeatedly said she was safe. I’m not sure what happened, but (I believe) there is a possibility that she has become a victim of human trafficking or a scam," she told a press conference at the Johor Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters on Saturday. 

Malaysians have also been victims of job scams in Cambodia. 

On Mar 27, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed appreciation to his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen for the latter’s support in bringing back Malaysian victims of a job scam syndicate in Cambodia.

“I also must express my thanks to the Prime Minister (Hun Sen) because Cambodia is one of the countries (that has been the) most forthcoming and helpful when we have to deal with (the) job scam issue.

“(This issue) also affects your citizens, but then you were helpful in assisting us to bring back 287 Malaysian victims of a job scam,” said Mr Anwar in a joint press conference after a bilateral meeting with Mr Hun Sen at the Peace Palace.