A Malaysian businessman endured a month of abuse and humiliation after falling victim to a job scam in Poipet, Cambodia.
Muhammad Syafiq Pubalan Abdullah, 40, revealed that he was beaten, stripped, and forced to eat pork while being coerced to work as a scammer for the syndicate.
He was only released after his wife paid RM6,000 and threatened the syndicate’s agent, warning that she would report the matter to the authorities.
Muhammad Syafiq explained that he was initially offered a business opportunity in Cambodia by a friend he had known for more than 12 years. They planned to open a restaurant and travel to the country to inspect potential locations.
“We travelled from Malaysia to Bangkok by land, intending to fly to Cambodia. However, upon arrival in Bangkok, my passport was taken by my friend, and I was smuggled into Cambodia via a back route. It turned out that my friend was an agent of a job scam syndicate,” he said at a press conference at the headquarters of the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) today.
Once in Cambodia, he was forced to impersonate a cybersecurity authority from Singapore to defraud the public. During the first week, he was beaten by senior workers as a “welcome initiation” and to instil fear. Each day, he was forced to work 10 to 12 hours calling over 250 phone numbers provided by the syndicate.
“At that time, I thought I might die there if the torture continued. I could only pray for a miracle. Thankfully, thanks to my wife’s efforts, I was rescued. Before my release, I was stripped, forced to hold my passport while being filmed, and made to sign a confession claiming that I was working there voluntarily,” he said.
Datuk Nadzim Johan, chief activist of PPIM, urged the government and relevant authorities to take action to prevent such scams from spreading.
“This is serious and not a new problem. It can happen to our children, relatives, or friends. I hope this story serves as a lesson and calls for cooperation, including international pressure, to curb these activities,” he said.
