讀後心得

After the COVID-19 pandemic, fraud crimes have sharply increased, especially in the chaos of Cambodia. The police have set up signs at the airport to remind the public to be wary of overseas work scams. Since the level three alert that was implemented in 2021, the number of fraud cases has surged, causing victims to suffer losses amounting to hundreds of billions. Anti-fraud officials indicated that the stay-at-home orders have made people more dependent on the internet, and fraud groups are using various platforms to commit their crimes, particularly targeting unemployed young people and luring them to work overseas. To raise awareness, the police have been releasing daily data on fraud cases since September of last year, showing that there are about 600 cases each day nationwide, with financial losses reaching 400 million. Although the number of cases has declined to about 400 per day at the beginning of this year, the issue of fraud has not yet subsided.

With the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of fraud cases has significantly increased, and the "Cambodia Chaos" incident has emerged. The police have set up slogans at the airport to remind the public to be wary of overseas work fraud.

According to the latest data, domestic fraud cases have been increasing every year. The Criminal Investigation Bureau believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an important turning point. After the level three alert was issued in 2021, the number of fraud cases sharply increased, especially the situation where people were trafficked as "pigs" reached its peak. Due to the clear gap between the actual number of victims and statistical data, the police reformed the criminal case record system last September, publishing the number of fraud cases and the property losses daily on the "Fraud Dashboard" webpage, allowing the public to understand that every year, thousands of billions of dollars flow into the pockets of fraud groups.

Officials and police combating fraud analyzed that during the pandemic, the increased time spent at home and deepened reliance on the internet led to more frequent online transactions. Fraud groups took advantage of platforms like online auction sites, social media, dating apps, and mobile text messages to conduct their scams. Additionally, the pandemic caused many people to lose their jobs, and citizens in urgent need of income were eager to earn money through online investments. The rise of virtual currencies further exacerbated the prevalence of fake investment scams. Fraud groups capitalized on the psychological desperation of young people seeking employment, luring them into overseas scam jobs, and even reselling them as "pigs" between different fraud groups, which ultimately triggered the Cambodia Chaos. The police not only continuously conducted outreach and warnings at airports but also worked hard to rescue those who were trapped, putting in considerable effort.

To help the public understand the harm fraud can cause to property, the National Police Agency launched the Fraud Dashboard last September. Statistics show that there are about 600 fraud cases nationwide every day, with an average daily financial loss of about 400 million. If we extrapolate this data to estimate the total loss for the first eight months, the annual financial loss from fraud cases could reach thousands of billions. However, in January and February of this year, the number of fraud cases had decreased to about 400 per day, with the average daily financial loss also reduced to 260 million.