43 Malaysians rescued after being lured by Amsterdam job scam
SEPANG, Selangor – When Mr Alif, 25, was offered a job at a hotel in Amsterdam with a salary upward of US$1,500 (S$2,053), he jumped at the chance. After all, he could see the Netherlands and have a job as well.
Then came the shock.
Amsterdam was just a stopover and Mr Alif only realised that he had been tricked when he reached the doorsteps of the Macau job scam syndicate in Lima, Peru, on Sept 29.
After his passport and mobile phone were confiscated, his ordeal at the hands of the syndicate began.
Luckily for Mr Alif, though, his ordeal lasted just over a week. He was among 43 Malaysian victims rescued by authorities in Peru on Oct 7 and flown home to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Thursday.
Recalling his ordeal, Mr Alif said he had seen an advertisement on Facebook offering US$1,500 to work at a hotel in Amsterdam.
“I clicked on the link in the advertisement and was redirected to the Telegram messaging application where I applied for the job. All contact and details were given via Telegram until I collected my ticket and flew off to Amsterdam,” he said.
Once he reached Amsterdam, Mr Alif was put on a connecting flight to Lima, Peru.
“Someone picked me up from the airport and once I reached the house, they took my passport and mobile phone away.
“It was then that I realised I had become the victim of a job scam,” he said, adding that he noticed that there were other people living in the house.
Mr Alif said he was provided with food but noticed that the house had high security.
“The house was surrounded by electric fences which made it almost impossible to escape,” he said.
Mr Alif was one of three victims who were brought back to Malaysia. The other two – both 23-year-old women – were clad in face masks, but were in high spirits when they arrived at the KLIA arrival hall.
It is learnt that the Peruvian police conducted the raid on the house after an unknown number of victims escaped and went straight to the police.
A total of 43 victims – consisting of 26 women and 17 men aged between 18 and 30 – were rescued from the house in La Molina, Peru.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Alamin said another 37 Malaysians will return to the country on four flights on Oct 28, 29, 30 and Nov 1.
“The 37 victims are currently being kept at an undisclosed safe house by the Peruvian authorities. I hope their family members do not worry,” Datuk Mohamad said.
He said the three victims who were brought back would have their statements recorded by the authorities before they could go home.
“We understand that three others are being held for further investigations by Peru authorities,” he said while praising the Peruvian government for rescuing the victims and speeding up the process of sending them home.
Mr Mohamad said the Foreign Ministry, through its embassy in Lima, would continue to monitor developments and extend consular assistance.
“The victims involved were from all over the country,” he said, urging the public to be wary of advertisements offering high-paying jobs abroad. - THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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