Jakarta. At least 2,493 Indonesians have sought the embassy's help amid a massive scam crackdown in Cambodia, according to the government.

The Cambodian government has a war against anything related to the online fraud trade after its country has become a breeding ground for scam centers. These operations have let these workers go, a lot of whom are Indonesians, after the fresh crackdown. These people had rushed to the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh for help. Between Jan. 16-26, the number had already reached 2,493 individuals, the Foreign Ministry reported Tuesday. 

Those who have the necessary documents and no immigration penalties have returned to Indonesia on their own. The government has helped some of the people get their documents and fine waivers. These people have also purchased their tickets using their own money.  Foreign Minister Sugiono told reporters on Tuesday that Indonesia would continue to verify the citizens affected by the crackdown. 

“Many of them have left their jobs because the Cambodian government decided to take action against these online scams. We are still collecting the data [on the affected citizens]. … But as for the law enforcement, we will hand it over to the authorities,” Sugiono said.

Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto not long ago revealed that thousands-of-dollars worth of fines hung over many of these citizens. Working at online fraud syndicates had forced them to stay longer than their visa permits. According to Santo’s estimates, a one-year overstay can result in a $3,650 worth of penalty. The longer they remain in the country, the bigger the fine.

“We are negotiating [with Cambodia] if it’s possible for these people not pay the overstay fine. Many of them can actually return home, but are unable to do so because of the huge fine,” Santo said.

At home, people are split on whether the people involved should be labeled as “scammers” or “human trafficking victims”. Financial Services Authority (OJK) head Mahendra Siregar picked the first option.

“I don’t fully agree that they are victims of human trafficking. They are scammers. They are criminals. They are part of the operations meant for scamming,” Mahendra, a former deputy foreign minister, told lawmakers not long ago.

Earlier this year, Cambodia extradited Chinese cybercrime boss and billionaire Chen Zhi to China. He is accused of being the mastermind behind a large-scale cryptocurrency scam and human trafficking.

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