Kidnapped Actor Reveals Shady Scam Centres in Myanmar

Wang (right) was rescued from Myanmar on January 7

The disappearance and subsequent rescue of a Chinese actor has shone a spotlight on the shady scam centres that have proliferated along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Wang Xing, 22, went to Thailand on January 3 on the promise of film work, but was driven 500km to a scam centre in Mae Sot, where his head was shaved and was trained to make scam calls, also known as "pig-butchering scams" to persuade victims to part with a lot of their money through text messages.

After not hearing from him for days, Wang's girlfriend went online begging for help, and after it was reposted by some famous Chinese actors, the Chinese authorities stepped in, and Wang was rescued on January 7. He returned to China on January 10, but not before thanking the Chinese and Thai authorities, but said nothing about how he was rescued.

He was held in a scam centre like this one

His swift return is not like the thousands of other people who were also lured to Thailand with promises of work, but were then swiftly kidnapped and taken across the border to places like Myanmar and Cambodia where they have been forced to scam people around the world, around the clock. 

There have been stories from former "prisoners" that if they don't perform these scams they are physically beaten and given little food, and it's near impossible to escape these camps. Only a handful of people have managed to escape and lived to tell their horrific experiences.

When news broke of Wang's rescue and return, families of other Chinese nationals started a petition to have the authorities also rescue their loved ones. Initially there were 174 cases, and now there are more than 600.

"We are desperate to know if the remaining Chinese nationals [who were] with him have been rescued," wrote one commenter on Weibo. "Other people's lives are also lives."

Wang had said there were about 50 other people who were held together with him.

Wang thought he had film work in Thailand

However, Beijing has not said whether it will follow up on these other cases, while the Thai government is keen to reassure Chinese tourists that Thailand is safe, as it relies heavily on visitors from China.

Wang is extremely lucky to have a persistent girlfriend, and for the internet community to clamour for the Chinese authorities to do something. But what about the rest of these people from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore who are essentially imprisoned and forced to scam innocent victims? 

It is believed these scam centres that get victims' money from cryptocurrencies and money transfers are run by Chinese syndicates, so why doesn't Beijing want to crack down on them? Surely it wants to protect its own citizens, who believed a job overseas could bring in money when they couldn't find work in China?

There are more questions than answers, but in the meantime Wang's harrowing story serves not only as a warning to others, but also helps bring more attention to scam centres in Southeast Asia and how they trick people into handing over millions of dollars.