Love bombing to laundering: How Indian men were trafficked into digital slavery

The trio (from left) of Sayed Zakir Abbas, Ismail Sayed and Shaban Salim, who were trafficked to Bangkok. Pic/Diwakar Sharma

Unsuspecting, jobless youths trafficked to Chinese-run cybercrime factories in Laos are being trained to execute "romance-investment" scams - a calculated blend of online seduction and financial fraud. At these digital sweatshops, recruits are handed thick script booklets and told to memorise lines designed to trap mostly young Americans and Europeans. The targets are initially ‘love-bombed' and then manipulated into wiring large sums of money under the pretence of investing in fake cryptocurrency platforms.

Unpacking the sugarcoated layers of deception, three Mira Road-based men told mid-day how scammers ensnare victims with fabricated affection, aimed at disarming skepticism and building false trust. Once emotionally entangled, victims are coaxed into transferring funds to bogus platforms. The scammers use deepfake videos, spoofed identities, and forged digital personas to create an illusion of legitimacy and intimacy.

Shaban Salim and Sayed Zakir Abbas. Pics/Diwakar Sharma

"After confiscating our passports, the Chinese handlers gave us soft copies of the script. It detailed every step to trap targets, starting with sending messages via Facebook," said 35-year-old Ismail Sayed, who recently escaped from Laos. "While working at the cybercrime factory, I learned that our Chinese boss, Chison, buys Facebook accounts and their passwords in bulk, paying $300 apiece. We were told to use these accounts carefully to avoid raising suspicion," he told mid-day.

"Before operating the accounts, we had to change the credentials to match random Instagram profiles - typically of active female users who posted reels, location updates, and lifestyle content. The aim was to make it appear that the Facebook account belonged to the same woman," he added. "It took a week to synchronise both accounts."

Using AI to deepfake

Each stage of this impersonation game was closely monitored by Chinese handlers. "We were trained in psychologically manipulative tactics to gain control over targets by flooding them with affection, attention, and flattery," said 30-year-old Zakir Abbas, another Mira Road resident who escaped after stealing 17 iPhones from the facility, forcing his captors to release him.

These men, along with their friend Shaban Salim, told mid-day that the scammers extensively used AI tools to create deepfake video calls, impersonating women during chats with male victims. "We closely tracked the Instagram activity of the women we were impersonating - just to win trust. We'd casually reference their latest locations or reels in conversation, to convince the target we were real," said Salim.

"If a target began suspecting the identity, we used AI tools to reinforce the illusion. A single slip-up could get the Facebook account suspended as spam. If that happened, we were punished with starvation, 20-hour shifts, or public humiliation," he added.

Purpose of love bombing

The key objective of ‘love bombing' was to lure the victim from Facebook to WhatsApp. "That's why we were given two iPhones, one with a local SIM and another with a US SIM," said Abbas. "The US number helped us appear locally available to the target, even though we were in Laos. But we were well-trained to smartly avoid any in-person meetings."

Once trust was built, the scammer would slowly probe the victim's financial capacity. They were trained to keep victims emotionally engaged all day, starting with a ‘Good morning' text and ending with ‘Good night, let's talk tomorrow.' The goal: emotional dependency, setting up more love bombing the next day.

"We were told to make sure the target thought of nothing else. Whether he was in the toilet or at a meeting, he had to respond instantly," recalled Ismail Sayed, who said each recruit received a five-page script to follow word-for-word while chatting. "We just copied and pasted pre-written messages from the script," added Abbas. ‘Sorry, babes!'

"If a target seemed wealthy, we'd inform Chison, who would take over and push the investment fraud. Initially, fake dashboards would show phoney profits. Once a large sum was transferred, the money would be siphoned off, and the WhatsApp number would be blocked. The last message sent was: ‘SORRY BABES!'," said Sayed.

This transnational criminal enterprise runs on trafficked, coerced labour working around the clock to exploit global victims. The scale and cruelty expose a chilling nexus of modern slavery, emotional manipulation, and AI-enabled fraud - arguably one of the most insidious crimes of the digital era.

"What we were forced into was cybercrime. We were helpless. Our passports were seized, salaries denied, and we were made to work in inhuman conditions. I had lost all hope of returning to Mira Road. But I escaped - and I won't stay silent," said Sayed. "I'm filing a police complaint. The agents who lured me to Laos were childhood friends. They broke my trust and left me emotionally bankrupt. I won't spare them."

Excerpts from the scammer script

Warm up: "Hello, nice to meet you. We're destined! I stayed in your city last month. No time to explore though - next time, you'll be my tour guide, right?"

Career bait: "You seem successful. My friend in New York does the same and makes $1M a year. You probably earn more!"

Fake profession: "I run a clothing store in Chinatown, LA. I'm casual, optimistic, and love sharing every part of life."

Hook with charm: "My God, you look so young. You must work out! I love sports too. What should I call you? I'm Melissa."

Crypto segue: "Sorry, just checked the BTC trend." (Sends photo of a fake trading platform) "Do you invest in stocks too?"

Scare tactic: "Stocks are rigged by big banks. Only insiders make money. But crypto… that's different."

Flirt-close: "Let's talk more when we have time. Have a wonderful day!"

Morning bait: "As long as your heart has sunshine, the sun will follow you. Good morning! I just opened my shop. What are you doing?"

Soft sell: "My teacher says we should store funds in a Trust Wallet. Big market shifts are coming."