“Bangladesh must respond.”
With the theme “Trapped Behind the Scam”, Bangladesh joins the rest of the world in observing the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDATIP) 2026, drawing attention to one of the fastest-growing forms of modern slavery—human trafficking for forced criminality through cyber-enabled scam operations.
This year’s campaign exposes the hidden human cost behind online fraud, highlighting how victims are deceived, recruited and forced to commit cyber-enabled crimes under coercion, violence, intimidation and fear. It underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to dismantle trafficking networks, protect victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
Across the world, thousands of people are lured by promises of legitimate employment only to find themselves trapped in heavily guarded scam compounds.
There, they are forced to conduct online fraud, cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, phishing attacks, investment fraud, identity theft and other cyber-enabled crimes. Victims often endure constant surveillance, physical abuse, psychological torture, debt bondage and threats against themselves and their families.
Unlike conventional trafficking, which primarily exploits victims for forced labour or sexual exploitation, this emerging form compels victims to become unwilling participants in organised criminal activities. While the public often sees only the online scam, those behind the computer screens are frequently trafficking victims who themselves require protection, rehabilitation and assistance.
Technology has transformed how traffickers identify, recruit, transport, control and exploit victims. Criminal networks increasingly rely on digital platforms because they are inexpensive, anonymous and capable of reaching millions of people almost instantly.
Fake job advertisements on Facebook, LinkedIn, Telegram, WhatsApp, TikTok and online recruitment websites, fraudulent overseas employment agencies, fake scholarship offers, online friendship and romance schemes, cryptocurrency payments, encrypted communication platforms and artificial intelligence-powered deception have all become tools for organised trafficking networks operating across borders.
Trafficking goes digital
Human trafficking has expanded beyond forced labour and sexual exploitation to include trafficking for forced criminality. Across Asia, criminal networks lure victims with fraudulent online job offers in sectors such as information technology, digital marketing, finance and call centres. After crossing borders, victims often have their identity documents confiscated and are forced to operate cyber scam centres under constant surveillance, abuse, threats and debt bondage.
Those who fail to meet performance targets may face violence, torture, detention or further exploitation. Many remain trapped because communication is restricted, identity documents are withheld and threats extend to their families. The public sees the financial fraud, but rarely the coercion behind it.
These technologies have fundamentally altered the economics of trafficking.
Digital platforms allow criminal groups to recruit at scale, conceal their identities, move illicit funds and coordinate operations across jurisdictions while making detection increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies. As technology advances, trafficking networks are becoming more sophisticated, agile and harder to dismantle.
For Bangladesh, these developments carry growing significance.
The country has a young and increasingly connected population, rapid internet penetration, widespread smartphone use and a large overseas migrant workforce. These strengths also create opportunities for organised criminal groups seeking vulnerable job seekers.
Young Bangladeshis searching for overseas employment, freelance work, remote jobs, scholarships or higher education opportunities may unknowingly respond to fraudulent advertisements circulating through social media and messaging platforms.
University students and recent graduates are particularly vulnerable because many aspire to build careers abroad. Attractive offers for customer service, digital marketing, casino management, information technology support or online sales often appear legitimate until victims arrive overseas and discover the promised jobs do not exist. Instead, they are forced into online scam centres.
Bangladesh’s growing exposure
Bangladeshi migrant workers have traditionally sought employment in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. While the overwhelming majority migrate safely through legitimate channels, emerging trafficking routes linked to cyber-enabled scam operations demonstrate how deceptive recruitment can quickly turn into severe exploitation. Victims may become trapped in criminal compounds where refusing to participate results in violence, confinement or further trafficking.
The Rohingya refugee population in Cox’s Bazar remains particularly vulnerable. Restrictions on formal employment, poverty, limited education and dependence on humanitarian assistance create conditions that traffickers readily exploit. Informal brokers increasingly use social media and messaging applications to advertise fraudulent employment opportunities inside and outside Bangladesh.
Another emerging concern is the growing use of online gambling and digital betting platforms among some refugee and host-community youth. Financial losses can lead to debt, making individuals more susceptible to recruitment offers promising quick income. Instead, they face heightened risks of trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of exploitation.
Several structural factors continue to increase the vulnerability of Bangladeshi youth.
High aspirations for overseas employment, unemployment and underemployment, limited awareness of cyber-enabled trafficking, inadequate digital literacy, financial hardship, insufficient verification of recruiters and employers and limited understanding of safe migration procedures all create opportunities for transnational organised criminal groups operating across borders.
The risks extend beyond individuals. As cyber-enabled trafficking expands, it threatens Bangladesh’s migration governance, digital economy and international reputation. Preventing exploitation therefore requires stronger safeguards before recruitment occurs rather than relying solely on victim rescue after the crime has been committed.
Prevention before rescue
Young people are not only among the groups most vulnerable to trafficking but also among the strongest agents of prevention. Building digital resilience and awareness can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation before it occurs.
Bangladesh should pursue a comprehensive prevention strategy involving government institutions, educational institutions, humanitarian organisations, law enforcement agencies, technology companies and civil society.
Digital safety, cybercrime awareness and anti-trafficking education should become integral parts of school, college and university curricula, while digital literacy programmes should equip young people to identify fraudulent recruitment advertisements, phishing attempts and online scams. Safe migration awareness should also be strengthened before overseas employment or study.
Regulatory oversight requires equal attention. Recruitment agencies and online employment platforms need stronger monitoring, while prospective migrants should be encouraged to verify overseas job offers through the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Bangladesh missions abroad and licensed recruiting agencies before accepting employment.
Accessible reporting mechanisms for suspicious online recruitment should be strengthened alongside cybercrime investigation capacity. Given the transnational nature of these crimes, international cooperation will remain essential to identify trafficking networks, rescue victims and prosecute offenders.
Preventing cyber-enabled human trafficking also demands a whole-of-society response. Technology companies should strengthen monitoring of fraudulent accounts and advertisements. Financial institutions should improve detection of suspicious transactions, while telecommunications providers should support cybercrime investigations. International organisations, humanitarian actors and civil society should continue strengthening victim identification, referral, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration services.
Parents, teachers, religious leaders, youth organisations and the media all have important roles in promoting responsible internet use and recognising early warning signs. Young people themselves should verify information before sharing it, report suspicious online activity, support friends who may be at risk and serve as digital safety ambassadors within their communities.
The WDATIP 2026 theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” is a reminder that many individuals involved in online scams are themselves victims of trafficking and forced criminality. Bangladesh’s response must therefore extend beyond combating cybercrime. It must strengthen digital literacy, promote safe migration, regulate online recruitment, enhance cybercrime investigations, support vulnerable groups and deepen international cooperation against technology-facilitated trafficking.
Technology should empower rather than exploit. Achieving that goal will require sustained collaboration among government, the private sector, technology companies, humanitarian actors, civil society, communities and young people to build a safer, more inclusive and trafficking-free digital future.
The author is an assistant director and counter trafficking focal at Young Power in Social Action. With over a decade of experience in combating human trafficking, he has led numerous projects addressing human trafficking and smuggling issues in both host community and Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Views expressed in the article are solely those of the author.
