8,000 Indonesian Citizens Victims of Online Scams Report to Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Phnom Penh has recorded that as of 5 May, 8,002 Indonesian citizens (WNI) have requested assistance for repatriation to the homeland amid a surge in cases involving online scam syndicates.
Through a press statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday, the KBRI in Phnom Penh stated that it has facilitated the return of 3,348 WNI to Indonesia.
“These WNI came to the KBRI in Phnom Penh after escaping the online scam networks. Since mid-April 2024, there has been an increase in the trend of complaints, with an average of more than 100 WNI reporting daily. Even on 5 May 2024, the number of reporters reached 180 WNI in a single day,” the statement read.
The embassy noted that this increase coincides with the increasingly intensive operations to eradicate online scam networks conducted by the Cambodian Government following the Khmer New Year celebrations.
These law enforcement operations have also targeted areas that were previously rarely affected by raids, including Poipet, a border city known as one of the concentration points for WNI in Cambodia.
The KBRI explained that most of the WNI who came to report claimed not to have passports, to have overstayed their visas, and to face financial limitations for returning to Indonesia.
In response, the KBRI in Phnom Penh continues to strengthen coordination with the Cambodian Government to request the waiver of overstay fines to expedite the repatriation process for the WNI. To date, Cambodian authorities have approved the waiver of overstay fines for 4,677 WNI.
On the other hand, the surge in the number of reporters has pushed the capacity of the temporary shelter managed by the KBRI in Phnom Penh to its maximum. Several WNI are currently on a waiting list before they can enter the shelter.
The KBRI in Phnom Penh estimates that the number of WNI needing repatriation assistance will continue to rise as the Cambodian Government’s operations to eradicate online scam networks continue in various areas.
Therefore, the KBRI in Phnom Penh urges WNI who have received approval for overstay fine waivers and travel documents to immediately purchase tickets to Indonesia. This step is necessary to make room for other WNI still awaiting document issuance and immigration administration processes.
In addition, the KBRI in Phnom Penh also urges WNI who have returned to Indonesia not to return to Cambodia and join online scam networks again.