Inside the Cambodian scam compound preying on British pensioners
This is a notorious scam compound, heavily influenced by the Chinese mafia, in Bavet, a city in southern Cambodia on the border with Vietnam. It is one of several near-identical megacomplexes on a single road, hiding dozens of scam businesses where workers are forced to operate fake online profiles for hours without breaks — carrying out romance and cryptoscams on international victims.
The majority of these workers, who are trained to target British, American and Australian adults through dating sites and social media platforms, say they were lured into their roles under false
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Times
8 minutes ago
- Times
Widow of Vietnamese migrant lorry tragedy victim smuggled to UK
Ribbons of purple smoke plume through the halls of Nguyen Nhung's home in Do Thanh village, central Vietnam, as she prays over burning incense sticks in remembrance of her son and daughter-in-law. Le Van Ha, a 30-year-old graduate and Nhung's eldest child, was one of the 39 Vietnamese migrants who died in the back of a refrigerated lorry while being smuggled from Belgium to Essex in 2019. His wife, Tran Thi Hoa, spent the past five years attempting to pay off a mountain of debt inherited to cover his people-smuggling fee — until this January, when Nhung said she chose to double it, and follow a similarly deadly route to the UK. 'Now it is like she has died too,' explained Nhung, as she bows over the marble altar in her hallway, whipping the incense to extinguish its smouldering ends. 'She has abandoned their children and left them with me. Now [her sons] are orphans. How do I tell my grandson his mother will never come back?' • What I saw on the trafficking route that ships 'slaves' to the UK Hoa appears to be among a new wave of Vietnamese migrants choosing to move to the UK in large numbers via the small boat route from northern France. More than 3,600 Vietnamese were recorded crossing the Channel last year, making them the biggest nationality to make the dangerous journey in the first half of 2024. She told Nhung she was moving to the UK 'to pay off [her husband's] loans' but allegedly borrowed more money to pay smugglers to move across European borders before finally crossing the Channel. The exact amount she borrowed is not known. 'She took savings for the children and left,' Nhung claimed. Hoa is said to have gone ahead with the journey despite resistance from her relatives and wider backlash from the families of 21 of the 39 victims of the Essex lorry tragedy, who also come from the same central province of Nghe An. The family initially raised 700 million Vietnamese dong, or £20,000, to send Ha to the UK in 2019, believing that his journey would lift the household above the poverty line. They admitted to taking out bank loans, borrowing from relatives and mortgaging two plots of land to secure his place on the fatal lorry journey. • Vietnam migrants tell of slavery in bid to deter Channel crossings 'We were told it was a VIP route, we did not think he would die' explained Nhung. 'We now warn young people not to go on this journey and risk their life. But many still try. I asked [Hoa] to stay here but she left … and she now does not talk to me.' She claims the family still owe more than £19,000 to their lenders almost six years after Ha's death. A total of 11 people have been convicted in the UK over the Essex lorry tragedy, in which victims paid large sums to be smuggled into Europe — only to suffocate inside an airtight container while being ferried from Belgium to Grays, Essex, in October 2019. Ronan Hughes, who was a haulage manager, was jailed for 20 years at the Old Bailey in February 2021, after pleading guilty to his part in the 39 deaths. He was ordered to pay families £182,078.90 by a judge in January, as part of a compensation package. Nhung says her family have 'not received any money or justice' for Ha's death. • 'I'm dying because I can't breathe. I'm sorry Mum' Hoa did not deny claims put to her by The Times that she had paid to be smuggled to the UK, but would not confirm if she was working in the UK's booming black market, where hundreds of undocumented Vietnamese migrants work day and night on cannabis cultivation farms or in cash-in-hand jobs at nail salons. Friends of the couple in Do Thanh claimed Hoa had talked about potentially working in a brothel to pay back the debt. Hoa did not respond to a request for comment on this. A UK job — even one below minimum wage — can pay ten times as much as a standard role in central Vietnam. Remittances sent back by relatives who had been smuggled abroad have revolutionised the village of Do Thanh, which was once a rural rice-farming commune but is now made up of rows of mansions and luxury villas and is locally known as Billionaire's Village. It is estimated that there are between 20,000 and 70,000 undocumented Vietnamese living in the UK. During The Times's visit to Ha's childhood home, Hoa called their 11-year-old son from a location in London. She told him she would send over some money. Nhung confirmed she occasionally wires small sums to help with buying groceries. 'The money does not go to helping us pay their debt, it is for her son to eat,' Nhung says. 'She has only made life more difficult for us.' 'We're left with heartbreak,' she adds. 'We have no way to pay back this money. The grandchildren will have to help when they finish school.'
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Goodnight Cinderella' gang charged after Brit tourists drugged and robbed on beach as cops hunt female trio
THREE women who allegedly spiked and robbed two Brit men in a horrifying "Goodnight Cindarella" scam have been charged by cops. One of the victims said they took two sips of a drugged drink that one of the women bought them before collapsing on a beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 7 7 7 Local police are now hunting Amanda Couto Deloca, 23, Mayara Ketelyn Americo da Silva, 26, and Raiane Campos de Oliveira, 27, who all face criminal charges. It comes after an urgent travel warning was issued to Brits regarding the 'Goodnight Cinderella' scam, followings soaring reports of tourists being targeted. Terrifying footage showed one Brit holidaymaker falling unconscious on the iconic Ipanema beach after falling victim to the increasingly common ruse. The suspects were identified after a local teenage delivery man filmed the ordeal and called an ambulance. The victim previously thanked the driver when speaking to local media, saying: "He filmed, called an ambulance, and helped the police track down the suspects - thank you to him, whoever he is." Police say the trio are part of a 'Goodnight Cinderella' gang that has targeted tourists from Britain, France, the USA, and Argentina in nightlife districts. The gang's method involves approaching tourists in bars, offering drinks laced with drugs, and robbing them once they lose consciousness - sometimes within just 30 minutes. Criminals posing as friendly locals often use Rohypnol, GHB - or any date rape drug - to drug tourists and rob them. Recalling the terrifying scam, the 21-year-old Brit engineering student said: "I took two sips [of the cocktail] and I don't remember anything else." He added: "I tried to fight the drug. By the time I got to the beach I was completely out of it." Following his horror experience, the first-time visitor to Brazil said: 'Maybe I'll come back one day but for now I think it's enough of this country.' The victim spoke to local media alongside a pal, also from the UK. who was another target of the ploy. The fellow student said that before losing consciousness he threw his phone into the sand. He told Brazilian outlet G1: 'I must have realised what was going on and threw my phone.' The pair said they had spent "a beautiful 10 days" in the South American country before the ordeal. They had reportedly travelled there to celebrate a graduation. The alleged crime occurred during a midweek night out last week when the two pals were approached by the female thieves at a bar in the Rio neighbourhood of Lapa. 7 7 7 The Brits met the three women at a Samba dance. After heading to a local bar to carry on the evening, one of the victims said he was handed a Caipirinha cocktail before losing consciousness. When he woke up in hospital, he said £16,000 had been stolen from his account. But the women actually only managed to spend £2,000 before the accounts were frozen, police said. Horrifying footage showed one of the tourists staggering along the beachfront before collapsing into the sand. The women are then seen running along the street and jumping into a taxi before quickly leaving the area. The local delivery driver who filmed the shocking footage said: "I called the emergency services and they confirmed police and an ambulance were on their way. Campos de Oliveira, has been previously jailed for six months for the same type of offence, and has also been arrested 20 times before. Officers also identified the taxi driver who drove the women away, though he is not believed to have been involved. The FCDO currently "advises against all but essential travel to parts of Brazil". Under the subcategory 'scams', the Foreign Office writes: "Dating apps have been used by criminals to target foreign nationals in Brazil, leading to spiking of drinks, robbery and theft from bank accounts. Exercise caution when engaging with such apps, buy and keep hold of your own drinks, share your plans with friends or family, and be vigilant of your belongings including your mobile phone." Under the subcategory 'sexual assault and drink spiking', the advice reads: "Rape and other sexual offences against tourists are not common, but there have been attacks against both women and men. Some have involved date rape drugs. Buy your own drinks and keep them in sight. If you begin to feel strange, sick or drunk after only a couple of drinks, tell a trusted friend or security staff. They should take you to a safe place, such as your hotel room or a hospital. You can phone the local police, a hospital or the nearest British embassy or consulate for advice."
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Nine workers killed in blast at Brazil explosives factory
Nine people have died in a blast at an explosives factory near the Brazilian city of Curitiba, in southern Paraná state, emergency officials say. The explosion happened on Tuesday morning local time when a number of people were on shift in the people were injured and emergency personnel with sniffer dogs searched for the nine missing workers, but given the devastating damage at the site, Paraná's security minister later announced that there was "no longer any hope of finding survivors".The company that owns the factory, Enaex, said it was investigating what could have caused the explosion. The blast in Quatro Barras, near the state capital, Curitiba, happened just before 06:00 local time (09:00 GMT).Residents from nearby towns reported being woken up by the sound. A firefighter said that the blast had opened up a crater at the makes explosives for civilian purposes used in construction and firm expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and said it would work with the relevant authorities to clarify what had caused the local authorities said that the firm had all the necessary licences to operate at the site, where it had been operating for five decades.
