The government is trying to rescue Cambodian citizens who were lured into employment and forced to participate in cyber fraud schemes. In a statement to Reuters news agency, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian embassy in Cambodia is working with Cambodian authorities and has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians, including 75 in the last three months.The statement offered by Jaiswal was in response to reports claiming that more than 5,000 Indian nationals are trapped in Cambodia and forced to carry out cyber frauds on people in India.Jaiswal said: “We are also working with Cambodian authorities and agencies in India to crack down on those responsible for these fraudulent schemes.”The report also notes that the government and its embassy in Cambodia have issued several notices informing them about these types of scams, the spokesperson added.However, the Cambodian embassy in India has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Increase in cybercrimes in 2023
Several reports have suggested that cybercrime incidents around the world increased last year. In 2023, major data breaches and ransomware attacks affected businesses around the world. A recent report from Palo Alto Networks also announced its cybersecurity predictions for 2024. The report recommended companies take a holistic approach to cybersecurity to stay safe.The report cited a survey that claimed that around “67% of Indian government/essential services witnessed a more than 50% increase in disruptive cyberattacks in 2022-2023.”This survey also found that 75% of Indian organizations increased their cybersecurity budgets in 2023 compared to 2022.Ian Lim, head of field security at Palo Alto Networks, said: “In 2023, we have seen mature organizations, which invest heavily in cybersecurity, continue to fall victim to debilitating cyberattacks. This is due to the tenacity and ingenuity of attackers who exploit cyber hygiene issues or find novel ways to compromise legacy defenses. Another key reason for these breaches lies in the complexity of security capabilities in most modern organizations.”