Leaked Chats Reveal Dark Secrets of Enslaved Workers at Scam Compound

New Delhi: An office manager named Amani sent a message to his team last April. He said every day is an opportunity to inspire and connect. But Amani wasn’t leading a regular sales team. He and his workers were part of a scam operation where fraudsters trick people into fake crypto investments.

The workers in this high-rise building in Northern Laos worked 15-hour night shifts. Most of them were also victims, trapped as forced laborers. They had hefty debts and no passports. They had to meet daily quotas for scams to avoid punishments that could add to their debt. Those who tried to escape faced severe punishments including beatings and torture.

A whistleblower named Mohammad Muzahir leaked documents from the Boshang compound, showing the daily lives of these workers. He shared internal files, scam scripts, and even videos. These leaks revealed that many workers were forced to steal money, with scamming becoming a huge and terrible crime.

Muzahir, also known as “Red Bull,” contacted WIRED while still inside the compound. His most shocking leaks were recordings of chats among the workers and their bosses. These chats showed the fearful environment of the scam operation.

Experts studied these documents. Erin West, a former prosecutor, said it looks like a slave colony pretending to be a company. Jacob Sims, a researcher, noticed the manipulative tactics used to control workers. Messages often told staff to follow rules, or they would face dire consequences.

Muzahir found that over 30 workers defrauded victims out of $2.2 million in about 11 weeks. Despite this, managers often criticized their performance and imposed fines. Workers were paid a base salary but had to repay a large sum to regain their passports and leave the compound.