Cyber Slavery: Here's What It Means And What To Do If You Get Trapped In One

Cyber slavery victims are forced to participate in illegal cyber activities such as online fraud, identity theft, or phishing, often under threats of violence or death.

If you are trapped in cyber slavery then the first step that you should take is to reach out to the local law enforcement and then reach out to your country's embassy for immediate help.

Source : Unsplash/Towfiqu barbhuiya

With the rise of digitisation in the nation, the forms of cyberattacks, scams and frauds have also risen. One such form of online scam is cyber slavery. Cyber slavery is a disturbing and rising form of modern trafficking where individuals are forced or trafficked into carrying out online scams for organized crime groups. This evolving cybercrime preys on vulnerable individuals, trapping them in illegal operations and online fraud schemes. 

Let us dive deep into the topic to understand it better. 

What Does It Mean?

Cyber slavery in simpler words, means the coercion or trafficking of individuals into carrying out online scams for organised crime networks. Victims are forced to participate in illegal cyber activities such as online fraud, identity theft, or phishing, often under threats of violence or death. Criminals lure victims with fake job opportunities and traffic them across borders to foreign countries. Many fall into this trap due to financial hardships or unemployment, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.

Victims are usually oblivious to the illegal nature of the work in the early stages and they realise it too late, by that time they're already stuck in this thing. These things usually happen behind closed doors or in foreign nations, due to which rescuing the victims becomes a difficult task. Notably, Southeast Asia is emerging as the hotspot for cyber slavery.

How Does Cyber Slavery Work?

Primarily, cyber slavery is conducted with the help of fake job listings and they are usually for foreign locations, which would attract victims who are looking for high paying opportunities. Cybercriminals would conduct fake interviews and provide false contracts, and issue fabricated travel documents to win the trust of victims. Criminals would operate both online and offline to make the victims trust the whole process more and make it look even more genuine. 

Authorities are aware about the modus operandi, which is why criminals are often on the move to evade detection. They change their identities and locations quite frequently. They further up their game by setting up fake companies that create an impression of legitimacy, which makes it harder for law enforcement to trace their actual operations. In addition to all this, criminals use encrypted forms of communications, anonymous online transactions, and fake social media profiles to cover their tracks and avoid detection. 

How To Spot If You're Getting Trapped Into Cyber Slavery?

The first and foremost advice is to always look at something with suspicion if it seems too good to be true. The offers that are promising to pay very well for minimal qualifications might not be that genuine. Also, the majority of the companies in the world never ask for money in exchange for employment so if you are being asked to pay 'service charge' or 'recruitment fee' then it might be a good idea to analyse the offer and the company in detail. 

One of the pro tips that you should know is to look for inconsistencies, i.e., paying attention to the email addresses from which you are receiving emails. Check if they are from official email addresses or not, check if they carry professional communication or it avoids any sort of interactions. Further, it might be wise to use official government websites, embassies, or official organisations to verify job offers abroad.

Here's What You Can Do If You're Already Trapped

The first step that you should take is to reach out to the local law enforcement and then reach out to your country's embassy for immediate help. If you believe that your calls are being tapped, then it might be a good idea to take help from trusted individuals in reporting situations to authorities. This goes without saying, don't participate in illegal activities at any cost. Delay or resist complying as much as possible.

As much as possible, document information about your captors, their location and the operations that you are being forced to assist in. Connect with NGOs or interpol or authorities that work to combat human trafficking.