PhnomPenhPost-Mar 25, 2025
For the first two months of 2025 alone, nearly 1,000 cases of job scams involving Indonesian nationals have been reported, according to Santo Darmosumarto, the Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia yesterday. By late February, the Embassy had dealt with 841 cases involving distressed Indonesian citizens, whether they came in person, contacted the hotline, or were reported by Cambodian officials. The majority of cases, Darmosumarto highlighted, involve Indonesian citizens participating in online scams. Typically, these individuals are attracted to enticing job offers that require minimal qualifications but promise high earnings. During an interview yesterday, Darmosumarto voiced his hope for increased efforts to improve the dissemination of essential information among Indonesian nationals, aiming to prevent more individuals from being lured into online scam jobs. “I think the most important thing that we want to do is to inform our colleagues in Jakarta to step up their efforts in informing the people not to easily find employment in companies that are not legitimate, not only in Cambodia but also various parts of the world,” he said. He also reaffirmed the commitment of Indonesia to work closely with the Cambodian authorities to jointly address the rising issues, ensuring suitable solutions brought to the table. As of late 2024, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh has handled a total more than 2,946 cases of Indonesian citizen protection, of which 2,259 cases were related to online fraud. On a daily basis, the embassy receives an average of 15-30 complaints from Indonesian citizens. Statistics provided by Cambodian authorities revealed a substantial increase in the Indonesian expatriate population, estimated over 100,000, compared to pre-pandemic figures of approximately 2,000. These Indonesian nationals are engaged in various occupations, ranging from work in the hospitality industry to cyber engineering and entrepreneurship. Read more at: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501659237/nearly-1000-job-scam-cases-involving-indonesians-reported/
