Hyderabad: A 19-year-old telecaller from Hyderabad fell victim to an international job scam that lured him to Laos with false promises of high-paying employment.
According to a report in TOI, the youth who worked at a call center in Abids was rescued with the help of Indian embassy officials.
Hyderabad telecaller job to cyber scam in Laos
The Hyderabad-based telecaller, the eldest son of a cab driver, had left college to support his family financially.
While working for Rs 15,000 per month at a local call center, he received a Facebook message in September 2024 from a man posing as a travel agent.
The fraudster who identified himself as Ashique Baba offered a data entry job in Laos with a monthly salary of Rs 1.2 lakh.
Trusting the offer, the Hyderabad youth traveled to Bangkok on December 23, 2024. There, an Ethiopian national transported him to Laos’ Golden Triangle region where Chinese operatives confiscated his passport and phone.
Fraudulent cryptocurrency investments
He was then forced into a cyber scam targeting NRIs in the US by creating fake social media profiles to trick victims into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments.
The telecaller revealed that despite promises of 20000 yuan as salary, he received no payment. After months of exploitation, he sought help from Laotian authorities and the Indian embassy which arranged his safe return.
Case registered
The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has registered a case under relevant laws and is working to track down the accused.
The incident highlights the growing threat of fake job scams targeting vulnerable job seekers.
