February 5, 2026
JAKARTA – The ongoing evacuation of Indonesians from overseas scam compounds lays bare a painful truth: that organizing repatriation flights and offering citizen protection services are stopgaps, not solutions for preventing the criminal exploitation of migrant workers.
The government’s repeated efforts to rescue citizens from such situations points to structural gaps at home that allow vulnerable Indonesians to be lured into potentially exploitative and criminal work abroad.
According to the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, over 2,200 citizens sought assistance to return home following Cambodian authorities’ crackdown on scam centers in late January. That figure drew nationwide attention and raised alarm about how many Indonesians had been ensnared by scam operations to date.
These hubs of online fraud and labor exploitation have become infamous. The United Nations estimates that 100,000-150,000 people have been trafficked and forced to work at scam centers in Cambodia alone, many deprived of their rights and coerced into committing fraud under threat of violence.
The sprawling industry spanning Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos is linked to a multibillion-dollar cybercrime economy that preys on victims globally.
Human rights advocates have documented harrowing conditions in these compounds ranging from forced labor and confinement to reports of torture, sexual assault and rights violations. These findings underscore that far from being informal job sites, many are sites of trafficking and abuse.
The National Police have confirmed multiple cases where citizens were lured by offers of high-paying jobs, only to find themselves trapped in scam operations.
In December 2025, nine citizens were rescued after they had been trafficked under deceitful promises of jobs as “computer operators”, coerced into online scamming and subjected to abuse. And while repatriation addresses the immediate humanitarian aspect, it does little to stop the flow of vulnerable individuals to these syndicates.
The fact that Indonesians repeatedly leave for Cambodia and other countries under fraudulent schemes highlights the deeper issue of employment insecurity and economic pressures at home, which make risky overseas opportunities appear attractive.
One analyst suggests that the way Indonesia’s growth model generates and distributes economic opportunities is driving youth and educated unemployment.
In addition, domestic discussions reflect a lack of consensus on how to treat returnees. Some officials have labeled them perpetrators of online fraud, while rights advocates caution against the oversimplified criminalization of trafficking victims, noting the complex mix of coercion and economic desperation at play.
An appropriate response requires nuanced policies that distinguish between those forced into exploitation and those who knowingly choose to engage in criminal activities.
Moreover, the industry’s entrenchment in the Golden Triangle has broader implications. Efforts by Thailand and Cambodia to crack down on scam centers are being met with international scrutiny.
Notably, the United States Justice Department pursued the largest forfeiture action in its history against assets tied to forced-labor scam networks, while China quietly executed citizens found to be complicit in the cyber fraud operations. Both measures point to the issue’s global dimension.
What Jakarta needs to do is step up its strategy.
First, strengthen migrant recruitment oversight and labor market protections to prevent Indonesians from being lured abroad on fraudulent promises. Campaigns warning against risky overseas job offers must be paired with viable domestic alternatives.
Second, push for cooperation within ASEAN and at international levels to harmonize laws against trafficking for forced criminality. This includes revisiting mechanisms like the Bali Process, which was originally designed to combat human trafficking, and adapting them to labor exploitation in cybercrime.
A coordinated regional response, from data sharing to joint investigations and legal harmonization, is necessary to dismantle transnational syndicates profiting from both online fraud and trafficking. As one of the most affected source nations, Indonesia has a moral and strategic responsibility to lead such efforts.
In the end, addressing the root causes at home will do more than repatriation ever can. It will help ensure its citizens are protected, not exploited, in a world where crime and opportunity increasingly intermingle across borders.