China influencer tricked into Cambodia cyber scam recounts ordeal but live-stream was cut short

A Chinese influencer’s live-stream recounting how she was lured to Cambodia and forced into a cyber scam operation was abruptly cut off, shortly before her social media account was banned.The 20-year-old, known online as Umi, is a live-stream host from southeastern China’s Fujian province with 24,000 followers on mainland platforms.Earlier this year, she gained national attention after being found in distress in Cambodia and returning safely to China in January.Three months ago, a netizen spotted a woman with a leg injury near a hotel in Cambodia, identifying her as Umi after passport details circulated online.Photographs depicted her looking gaunt, exhausted, and filthy, clutching a CAT scan.Umi, above, was found near a Cambodian hotel, looking gaunt and dirty, holding a CAT scan and suffering from a leg injury. Photo: RedNoteAccording to mainland outlet Jimu News, her father, surnamed Wu, a farmer, reported that the family had long believed she was working in Zhejiang province, having sent her over 80,000 yuan (US$12,000) over time after repeated requests for money.Wu stated that he approached the police after the photos emerged and he could no longer reach his daughter.Investigators later found that Umi had travelled to Cambodia in April last year.The Cambodia" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="119940" data-entity-type="organization">Chinese Embassy in Cambodia subsequently located her at a hospital, facilitated her transfer for treatment, and her mother later brought her back to China.Doctors in China later confirmed that she tested positive for drugs and indicated her leg issues were likely caused by nerve compression after a prolonged period of immobility.After returning home, Umi gradually resumed her social media activity and live-stream business.Gradually, Umi resumed her social media and live-streaming activities. She revealed she was forced into “keyboard work,” a term linked to telecom fraud, shortly after being lured to Cambodia. Photo: RedNoteOn April 3, she reportedly launched a live-stream titled “The Turbulent Story of Cambodia,” offering her first public account of how she ended up overseas.Further ReadingSpeaking in a frail voice and in fits and starts, she recounted how she was lured abroad by a woman she knew with promises of a high-paying job, only to have her passport confiscated and her movements restricted upon arriving in Cambodia.She stated that she was forced into so-called “keyboard work,” a euphemism widely associated with telecom fraud.“I was deceived by that woman, and she still hasn’t been caught,” she told viewers.Umi remained evasive about many details, repeatedly mentioning that she would explain more later, adding only that she “really regretted it.”Cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia have surged, with a UN report estimating about 300,000 people from 66 countries, including China, trafficked into fraud rings in the region. Photo: Reuters/Soveit YarnThe live-stream cut off after about 30 minutes, likely due to the sensitivity of the subject, but authorities have not verified her claims.Days later, her social media account was banned, reviving online concern over the increasing number of young Chinese being drawn into scam operations in Southeast Asia.One online observer commented: “I hope Umi can one day emerge from this dark chapter. Her story is a warning to everyone: there is no easy money.”Cyber scam operations across Southeast Asia have surged in recent years. A United Nations report estimates that about 300,000 people from 66 countries, including China, have been trafficked into fraud compounds throughout the region.These networks typically operate bogus high-paying job offers and impersonation scams.