How 23 Kenyans Flown Abroad for Jobs Are Tortured to Work as Scammers in Chinese Company

The prospect of a better life abroad turned sour for 23 Kenyans who moved away from their country seeking greener pastures in the Middle East.

The tens of Kenyans were allegedly duped into flying to Myanmar where, instead of landing promising jobs as expected were compelled to join a scamming syndicate run by a Chinese.

Opposition by the Kenyans and other victims of different nationalities was met with hostility, and according to The Bangkok Post, the duped foreign nationals were subjected to torture until they agreed to be part of the scams.

One Kenyan took his chances by attempting to escape and it ultimately paid off as he somehow crossed the Thai-Myammar border to seek help.

The Kenyan, 30, is reported to have limped to a police station in Phop Phra District in Western Thailand where he sought the help of a shopkeeper to contact the police. He disclosed he was just one lucky one among at least 1000 other people who had been tortured unless they agreed to join the Chinese scam gang.

According to the Kenyan, he spent a large chunk of time in Myawaddy, which is popularly known as ‘scam town’  in Myammar before his escape. He recounted enduring a five-hour journey, crossing a mountain and walking more than 10 kilometres to reach safety.

The story gets stranger as the Kenyan claims to have arrived in Thailand on October 5, 2024, hoping to secure a job as a chef after a Kenyan job placement firm invited him to the Asian country.

Alongside two other Kenyans, he was received at the Suvarnabhumi airport before proceeding to the Mae Sot district of Tak before being led across the Thai-Myanmar border to a call scam gang who forced them to enroll as cryptocurrency investment scammers.

His refusal to take up the offer was met with physical assault, with his assailants allegedly hitting him with a stun baton and baseball bat.

The Kenyan, whose identity was withheld, further disclosed that Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Ethiopian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan nationals were among the 1000 other individuals duped into joining the scam syndicate.

Job scams abroad have become a common problem, especially for Kenyans, whose strong desire to find work has made them more vulnerable to online fraud and dishonest recruitment agencies.

As recently as on Tuesday, February 4, the government, through the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs on Tuesday raised alarm over rising cases of visa application fraud and fake jobs, cautioning Kenyans against falling for such scams.

Highlighting the need to take responsibility when travelling abroad, the ministry emphasised the role of an individual in the visa application process urging Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to do “due diligence” before embarking on travel plans.