A Chinese influencer who said she had been lured to Cambodia and forced into a cyber scam operation saw her live-stream abruptly cut off before her social media account was later banned, renewing concern over the growing number of young Chinese being drawn into fraud networks across Southeast Asia.
The 20-year-old, known online as Umi, is a live-stream host from Fujian province in southeastern China with 24,000 followers on mainland platforms. She had already drawn national attention earlier this year after she was found in distress in Cambodia and returned safely to China in January. Three months ago, a netizen identified her near a hotel in Cambodia after passport details circulated online. Photographs showed her appearing gaunt, exhausted and dirty, while holding a CAT scan.
Family Search and Return to China
Mainland outlet Jimu News reported that her father, surnamed Wu, said the family had long believed she was working in Zhejiang province and had sent her more than 80,000 yuan, or US$12,000, over time after repeated requests for money. He said he approached police after the photographs surfaced and he could no longer contact his daughter.
Investigators later found that Umi had travelled to Cambodia in April last year. The Chinese embassy in Cambodia then located her at a hospital, arranged her transfer for treatment, and her mother later brought her back to China. Doctors in China later confirmed that she tested positive for drugs and said her leg problems were likely caused by nerve compression after a prolonged period of immobility.
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Live Stream Described Alleged Ordeal
On April 3, Umi reportedly launched a live-stream titled “The Turbulent Story of Cambodia”, describing for the first time how she ended up overseas. Speaking in a frail voice and in fits and starts, she said she had been lured abroad by a woman she knew with promises of a high-paying job, only to have her passport taken away and her movements restricted after arriving in Cambodia.
She said she was forced into so-called keyboard work, a term widely associated with telecom fraud. In the broadcast, she told viewers that she had been deceived by the woman and said that person still had not been caught. Umi remained vague about several details, repeatedly saying she would explain more later and adding only that she deeply regretted what had happened.
Broadcast Halt and Wider Alarm
The live-stream ended after about 30 minutes, apparently because of the sensitivity of the topic, though authorities had not verified her claims. Days later, her social media account was banned, reviving online concern over the increasing number of young Chinese being pulled into scam operations in Southeast Asia.
One online observer wrote that they hoped Umi could eventually emerge from what was described as a dark chapter, adding that her experience was a warning that there is no easy money. Cyber scam operations across Southeast Asia have risen sharply in recent years. A United Nations report estimates that around 300,000 people from 66 countries, including China, have been trafficked into fraud compounds across the region. These networks typically operate through bogus high-paying job offers and impersonation scams.
