The Union Home Ministry has asked states and Union Territories to intensify action against recruitment networks that lure Indians with overseas job offers and allegedly traffic them into cyber-fraud compounds abroad.
The push comes amid repeated cases of Indian citizens being taken to countries in Southeast Asia after being promised high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work in online scam centres. The Central Bureau of Investigation said in May that it was probing an organised network accused of sending Indians to scam compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia under the pretext of legitimate employment.
Authorities have now been asked to bring police, cybercrime units, labour officials, anti-trafficking teams and local administrations into a more coordinated response.
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Social media job advertisements to face closer scrutiny
A major focus is the recruitment process itself.
States have been asked to monitor suspicious overseas job advertisements appearing on social-media platforms and online job portals, particularly offers promising unusually high salaries or quick deployment abroad.
The concern is that trafficking networks increasingly recruit through WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and other online channels rather than traditional employment agencies.
The CBI has already warned that victims are approached through acquaintances, social media and online advertisements before being transported to scam compounds. Once there, passports may be confiscated and workers can face restrictions, physical abuse and pressure to participate in cyber fraud.
Cyber units have also been encouraged to preserve digital evidence such as chats, payment records, advertisements and account details at an early stage.
That evidence can help investigators trace the operation beyond the local recruiter to agents, travel facilitators and handlers operating abroad.
Overseas recruiters must be properly registered
The Centre is also pushing states to act against unlicensed recruitment agencies.
Under the Emigration Act, 1983, anyone recruiting Indian citizens for employment overseas must be registered with the Protector General of Emigrants. The Ministry of External Affairs says job seekers should use registered recruiting agents or deal directly with authorised foreign employers.
Recruiting without the required registration is an offence.
The MEA also advises workers to verify an agent’s registration before paying money or handing over passports, educational certificates or other documents. Registered agents can be checked through the government’s eMigrate system.
This verification is particularly important because fraudulent recruiters often use professional-looking websites, appointment letters and company names to create the appearance of a legitimate overseas placement.
A convincing offer letter does not prove that the recruiter or foreign employer is authorised.
What ‘cyber slavery’ means
Cyber slavery describes situations where people are trafficked or coerced into working inside cyber-fraud operations.
Victims may be promised jobs in customer support, data entry, sales or technology. After travelling abroad, however, they may be taken to guarded compounds and ordered to carry out online investment scams, romance fraud, fake loan schemes or other cyber-enabled crimes.
The government’s own cyber-safety material warns that victims can be manipulated into working without fair compensation and may be prevented from leaving freely.
In some cases investigated by the CBI, families were allegedly asked to pay money for the victim’s release.
That makes these cases both cybercrime and human-trafficking investigations rather than ordinary job fraud.
Panchayats and anti-trafficking units brought into response
The wider strategy also seeks to involve local authorities.
Panchayats can play an important role in identifying unauthorised recruiters operating in villages and smaller towns, where young people may be targeted with promises of foreign employment.
The government has also been strengthening Anti-Human Trafficking Units across the country.
The Home Ministry told Parliament in August that 819 AHTUs had been established across states and Union Territories. The Centre has urged states to improve interstate coordination and information sharing because trafficking networks frequently operate across multiple jurisdictions.
Those units can work alongside cyber police where online recruitment and digital-payment trails form part of the trafficking chain.
eMigrate becomes key verification tool
The eMigrate platform is one of the government’s main safeguards for people seeking work abroad.
Prospective workers can use it to verify whether a recruiting agent is registered and active. MEA guidance also advises applicants to independently check the foreign employer, employment contract and job details before making payments.
The government has repeatedly warned against travelling abroad for work on tourist visas or through unauthorised agents.
The new enforcement push reflects a broader change in the nature of trafficking. Recruitment may begin with a simple social-media advertisement, but the victim can eventually become part of an international fraud operation.
What this means for you: Before accepting any overseas job, verify the recruiting agent through eMigrate and independently contact the foreign employer. Do not hand over your passport or pay large recruitment fees based only on WhatsApp messages, social-media advertisements or appointment letters.
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