Immigration staff members in protective equipment assist a Hong Kong resident who returned home after falling victim to a job scam in Southeast Asian countries at the Hong Kong International Airport on Aug 25, 2022. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
HONG KONG – Three more Hong Kong residents who fell victim to job scams in Southeast Asian countries returned home on Thursday, the Security Bureau said.
In a statement issued on Thursday night, a Security Bureau spokesman said the three returned safely from Thailand after they sought help from the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department.
Hong Kong police earlier arrested six people over the job scam after 37 reportedly fell to the scheme after being lured to the Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos to engage in illegal work since January
“They thanked the country and the HKSAR government for their assistance which secured their prompt and safe return to Hong Kong,” the statement reads.
The three were assisted by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand, the SB's dedicated task force and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok.
Since the establishment of the SB's dedicated task force, a total of four assistance seekers have returned safely to Hong Kong, the spokesman said.
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He appealed to Hong Kong residents or their family members concerned about missing relatives to contact the ImmD as soon as possible.
Hong Kong police earlier arrested six people over the job scam after 37 reportedly fell to the scheme after being lured to the Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos to engage in illegal work since January.
Police said the victims were lured with promises of high-paying jobs through friends, social media and telemarketing.
But upon their arrival in their job sites, the victims' passports were withheld immediately, and they were forced to engage in fraudulent activities online or through phone calls. Victims who refused to cooperate or tried to escape were even treated inhumanely, police added.
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Immigration staff members in protective equipment assist two Hong Kong residents who returned home after falling victim to a job scam in Southeast Asian countries at the Hong Kong International Airport on Aug 25, 2022. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)