Taiwan’s representative office in Vietnam has set up a task force to assist scammed Taiwanese citizens stuck in Cambodia. In recent months there has been a rise in cases of Taiwanese people being tricked into traveling to Cambodia for work.
Victims will typically respond to ads for work in Cambodia advertising high pay for little-to-no experience. The scammers will then take away the victims’ passports. Upon arrival in Cambodia, the victims are forced to work under harsh conditions with none of the promised compensation.
Taiwan does not have a representative office in Cambodia, therefore authorities must work out of the office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to arrange rescues for scam victims.
On Wednesday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the Vietnam representative office set up the task force in May this year. Taiwan’s representative to Vietnam is coordinating diplomats, police, investigators, and immigration personnel to rescue victims.
The foreign ministry says that it will work with the representative office to make sure the task force has enough manpower to operate effectively. At the same time, it will continue working with Cambodian police and justice officials as well.