back to article Cambodian senator sanctioned by US over alleged forced labor cyber-scam camps

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued sanctions on Thursday against Cambodian entrepreneur and senator Ly Yong Phat, for his "role in serious human rights abuse related to the treatment of trafficked workers subjected to forced labor in online scam centers." The Office alleged that Ly owns …

  1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    WTF?

    "a romance scam compound"

    Dear me. As if cryptocurrency wasn't enough of a warning, they now have romance boot camps ?

    Are people really that desperate for companionship ?

    Send in the asteroid, please . . .

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "a romance scam compound"

      A friend of mine was, she sent a lot of money to a scammer over many months, we told her it was a scam. When I asked her why she kept sending money she said "because he loves me" I repeatedly told her that he loves your money and not you it made no difference she sent money anyway, She was hit by multiple scammers and lost her savings and almost her apartment.

      Before she finally realized she was being scammed I was looking for a way for her family to take control of her finances. The scams wemt on for over a year.

    2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: "a romance scam compound"

      It's not a romance boot camp. It's a compound where people are enslaved and forced to carry out scams against people on online dating sites.

      A friend of mine is online dating at the moment. I know several people who've met that way, and are happily married. So it can certainly work. But it's a hellscape out there! My mate has had three people try to scam her. Two claiming to be soldiers who were after small amounts of money - the old I'd like to see you but haven't got the cash for the fare. And then one who claimed to be French, but for some reason dating in the UK. After a few weeks of regular chatting - and promised future business trips to the UK to meet her - he suddenly asked her for £10,000 as an investment into his business. I don't quite understand how that one is supposed to work...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Cyberscams©

    I recall one fella running English language lessons to the Japanese, using the VoIP phones and computers from an Internet cafe.

  3. An_Old_Dog Silver badge
    Flame

    Euphemisms, Repeatedly

    Why do I keep seeing articles in The Reg tsk-tsking groups or individuals using "forced labor", instead of calling it what it is -- slavery!

    (Icon for flames to those writers and their editors.)

    1. doublelayer Silver badge

      Re: Euphemisms, Repeatedly

      In some cases, you could argue that there's a slight difference, though not one that any victim would really care about. For instance, if they are theoretically paid and permitted to leave, but they have been told that they have a debt and must pay it off. This is a common tactic. In turn, this takes two forms. Sometimes, it's actually real in that they can scam enough to pay off a "debt" and then be released. More often, the operators find ways to increase the "debt" whenever that might happen, meaning the payment is basically fake, but they still go through the motions.

      I'm not sure "forced labor" is much of a euphemism either. It's pretty clear about what's happening to people and how unwilling they are. When attempts have been made to make a euphemism out of slavery, the slavers tend to have to obscure their purpose more than that. For instance, the "vocational training" required of some Uyghurs in Xinjiang which is as forced labor as this is is a euphemism worthy of the name.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    most of the governments don't care

    Sounds like govs see it as small time competition, and wont interrupt unless someone "special" has been kidnapped, or they get "to much press"

    It should be a harsh retribution for anyone enslaving people. Anyone that enslaves people has surrendered their right to life.

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: most of the governments don't care

      The USA 13th amendment has just checked into the conversation (Private slave ownership is illegal in the USA, but slavery is not)

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