Sabah man duped by “high-paying job” offer, held in Cambodian scam compound and tortured for US$10,000 ransom
A 30-year-old Sabahan man who believed he had secured a job as an English translator in Singapore was instead trafficked to a scam compound in Cambodia, where he was beaten, electrocuted and starved. His captors are now demanding a US$10,000 ransom for his release.
- A Sabahan man was trafficked to a Cambodian scam compound after being deceived by a supposed Singapore job offer.
- He was beaten, electrocuted, starved and ordered to pay a US$10,000 ransom for his release.
- The family has lost contact since 2 December and is urgently appealing for government assistance.
MALAYSIA: A 30-year-old man from Sabah has become the latest Malaysian victim of cross-border job-scam trafficking after being deceived with a supposed offer to work as an English translator in Singapore.
According to Malaysian media reports, the victim left Sabah on 6 October, believing he had secured a genuine position arranged by a local intermediary.
Trapped Inside Cambodian Scam Compound
The illusion collapsed on 30 October, when the family received a distressing call from the victim.
He revealed that he had been trafficked to a compound in Cambodia, where his identification card and passport had been confiscated.
The syndicate behind the operation allegedly demanded a ransom of US$10,000 (approximately S$13,000) for his release and warned that non-payment would result in torture.
Beatings, Electric Shocks and Starvation
His mother told reporters, with assistance from the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO), that her son was repeatedly beaten and electrocuted for refusing to carry out online scam tasks.
She said he had been denied food and was already injured and weakened when he last managed to contact the family.
According to the family, their last communication with him occurred on Tuesday (2 December). Since then, he has gone completely unreachable, heightening fears for his safety.
The family admitted they are unable to raise the steep ransom demanded by the syndicate and have appealed for official assistance to rescue him.
They are now seeking immediate help from authorities and humanitarian groups, urging the Malaysian government to work with Cambodian officials to secure the victim’s safe return.
MHO has called the case another alarming example of Malaysians being trafficked into forced labour at regional scam hubs.
Earlier Case Highlights Wider Crisis
A recent case also underscored the scale of the problem.
A Malaysian businessman, Muhammad Syafiq Pubalan Abdullah, 40, managed to escape a Cambodian scam compound after his wife lodged a police report and a RM6,000 payment was made, but he estimated that around 700 Malaysians remain trapped there.
He described widespread violence in the syndicate, including daily beatings, electric shocks and women being assaulted for refusing to carry out scam tasks.
Official Figures on Malaysians Trapped Overseas
According to official data released in July 2025, Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that 533 Malaysians have been rescued from overseas job-scam syndicates since 2021.
They were among 672 Malaysians identified as victims of fraudulent job offers abroad, mainly in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, with 139 people — or 21% — still unaccounted for.
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