DIGITAL FORTRESS

The Union home ministry has launched an ambitious drive to protect Indians from the rising tide of global cyber scams. THE WEEK takes a deep dive into India’s evolving cyber defence strategy, and how the Amit Shah-led ministry is reshaping the nation’s fight against cyber crime

- BY NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

On the fifth floor of a grey, nondescript building in Cambodia, Sharvan hunches over a computer, sending WhatsApp messages to strangers, spinning lies about fake investments and watching as victims lose their life’s savings. The windows are sealed. Multiple screens buzz with activity under fluorescent lights that never go off. Just a year ago, the 24-year-old from Rajasthan had dreamed of joining the Army, like his elder brother. Today, his hands tremble—not from gun drills but from the fear of the next electric shock. He has become a slave—not to a factory or a field but to a shadowy empire of cyber fraud, run by Chinese agents and bolstered by trafficked youth from across South Asia, especially India.

Sharvan and others are trained to create fake social media profiles to scout for victims, often posing as financial advisers or attractive strangers offering insider investment tips. Those who show interest are added to WhatsApp groups filled with those posing as successful investors. “Our job was to make it look real, with charts, screenshots and testimonials. Everything was fake. We used trading apps that mimicked real platforms. We would first let them earn a little. They could even withdraw money to build trust,” said Sharvan. Then came the bait.

“We would tell them to invest ₹5 lakh or even ₹20 lakh, promising huge returns. Once the money was transferred, we blocked them,” he said. “We had daily targets, no breaks, no compensation. We were machines. We worked on the fifth floor and slept on the fourth. Guards never let us leave. If we disobeyed, they would send us to the black room for electric shocks.” Sharvan was sold to six or seven companies.