Having lived in safe Hong Kong all her life, Nancy never imagined that an overseas job would lead to forced labour in a scam farm, a harrowing experience that lasted for half a year before she could be reunited with her family.
“I was living a life worse than death, surviving purely by willpower,” said Nancy, who is in her twenties.
Like thousands of others lured to Southeast Asian scam farms, Nancy was hoping to make some quick money when a “friend” referred her for a job making cross-border purchases in Thailand, she said.
Instead, she only passed through Thailand and was taken to a scam farm in neighbouring Myanmar, where she was forced to try to swindle people, primarily targeting wealthy elderly Americans through everything from get-rich-quick schemes to fake online romances.
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‘People are sold every day’: first-hand account of life inside a Myanmar scam centre
‘People are sold every day’: first-hand account of life inside a Myanmar scam centre
Also trapped in a Myanmese scam farm nightmare for a few months was fellow Hongkonger Eric, 30, who fell for an advert promising quick cash in Thailand.
The pair, who considered themselves among the “lucky” ones who later managed to flee, shared details of their plight and the operations of the scam farms to raise awareness about the dangers and help save others still trapped.
