KUALA LUMPUR: A local woman narrowly avoided falling victim to a job scam syndicate that would have sent her to Myanmar.
The 41-year-old from Taman Melawati, who wished to be identified only as Huda, recounted how she was initially approached by a foreign couple claiming to be diplomats living in Bangkok.
"They contacted me via WhatsApp, offering RM2,000 for my services as a nanny over four days of work. They even arranged a virtual interview, which made me feel confident this was legitimate," she told reporters today.
Huda said that the couple paid for her flight ticket to Bangkok.
"I flew out on Oct 13 and immediately sensed something was off when I was greeted by someone in uniform as I disembarked at the airport. This person escorted me to get my passport stamped and then directed me to a travel agent. Shortly after, a car arrived to pick me up and take me to my 'employers,'" she recalled, adding that she did not have time to change money or purchase a Thai SIM card.
Once in the car, Huda was informed that her job location had changed, and she should simply follow the driver.
"I later learned we were heading to Tak, near the Thai-Myanmar border. It was a six-hour drive, and I was already plotting my escape," she said.
Upon reaching a police checkpoint in Tak, she recognised her opportunity.
"A policeman asked for my passport, but I insisted on speaking to someone who could communicate in English. The driver kept pressuring me to hand over my passport, but I refused," she said.
Eventually, a policeman who spoke English arrived, and Huda explained her fears of being sent to a call centre.
The officer then connected her with his wife, a school teacher fluent in English.
"I told her my story, and she relayed it to her husband," Huda said.
However, she was informed that, since no crime had technically occurred yet, there was little they could do.
The driver was allowed to leave, and arrangements were made for her to take a bus back to Bangkok.
"Fearing the syndicate had agents at the airport, I decided to take the train back to Kuala Lumpur instead," she said, adding that she returned home on Oct 15.
Huda hopes to share her experience to raise awareness about job scam syndicates.