Sri Lankans lured by bogus Thai IT firms, arrested in Myanmar

The Foreign Ministry has warned those seeking overseas employment not to be duped by bogus Thailand-based IT firms engaged in call-centre scams and crypto currency frauds.The Ministry has issued the warning following information received from the Sri Lankan Mission in Thailand.

The following is the text of the statement issued by the Ministry over the weekend: “The Sri Lanka Mission in Thailand has noticed that Sri Lankan nationals are being lured for employment in Thailand, particularly for the positions in the Information Technology (IT) sector by dubious IT firms involved in call-centre scams and crypto currency fraud. Victims are illegally taken across the border from Thailand, mostly into Myanmar, and held captive to work under harsh restrictive conditions. Some of the victims have also been apprehended by authorities for illegal entry.

All these victimized Sri Lankans have arrived in Thailand on tourist visas, having received assurance that tourist visas would be converted to work visas after arrival. That hadn’t materialized. Sri Lankan nationals are, therefore, advised not to get enticed and entrapped in such fraudulent job offers and are requested to exercise extreme caution and verify the background of recruiting agents as well as any company before taking up any job offer.”

The Foreign Ministry has advised those seeking employment in Thailand to obtain Thai visa details from the Thai Immigration Bureau Website. www.immigration.go.th