Rare forced scamming conviction sees justice for four survivors
Forced Scamming
August 2024
Four survivors of forced scamming from Thailand, including two minors, recently received justice after a trafficker received a 30-year prison sentence.
The conviction is remarkable because sentences this severe are rarely seen in human trafficking cases in Thailand. This verdict acknowledges the reality of forced scamming and challenges misconceptions held by some government authorities that most individuals working in scamming compounds are complicit in the crime.
“This conviction is a significant victory for us, shedding light on the true peril of trafficked victims trapped in forced scamming and bringing clear accountability,” said Andrew Wasuwongse, IJM Thailand’s Country Director.
What is forced scamming?
Tricked by a fake job advertisement on social media, offering attractive pay and benefits, the four victims were trafficked to a 10-story building in Cambodia.
Ordered to scam people in Thailand, they tried to refuse. But they were beaten for disobedience, confined in a room for 15 to 23 hours at a time, and faced threats of being trafficked to a worse company. To leave, they were told they would have to pay 180,000 THB (nearly £4,000).
One day, the survivors bravely managed to escape. They contacted a local non-government organization in a Thai province near the border.
In January 2022, IJM Thailand received a request for assistance from a close law enforcement partner, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation.
IJM supported the survivors with legal assistance. The suspect was charged with conspiring in human trafficking, forced labour of minors under the age of 18, deception, involvement in organized crime, and subjecting victims to forced labour and physical abuse.
Justice was obtained in June 2024, when the perpetrator was sentenced to 30 years and 8 months in prison, and given fines amounting to 1,536,620 THB (approximately £32,000).
With IJM’s support, the survivors have now secured safe employment and are feeling hopeful about the future.
“I am confident that I have received justice and trust that in the future, justice will also be possible,” said one survivor.
Another survivor, a teenager, also expressed her relief and gratitude: “I am relieved that the defendant is in prison. The defendant will not be able to harm us again.”