Earlier this year, several Cameroonians were scammed into paying huge sums of money, equivalent to up to a year’s wages, after being promised jobs paying much higher salaries in Singapore. But the jobs did not exist. When they arrived, they found themselves stranded in an unfamiliar country, and were forced to pay for their own lodging, food, and day-to-day needs – expenses that quickly drained their limited resources. They faced the legal risk of overstaying their visas in Singapore, and their situation has worsened with no solution in sight.
The Job Scam: How It Worked
The following accounts of Joseph, Jean, Madeleine, and Sandra (not their real names) reveal the common experiences of these Cameroonians.
Joseph wanted to work abroad to secure a better future for his family. Initially, he planned to go to the United States for work, but the process was slow and showed little progress. His agent then suggested Singapore, claiming that the processing would take only one week and that he could earn a monthly salary of around $1,500-$2,200. Compared to what he was earning back home, this seemed like a golden opportunity.
“I was earning 80,000 francs (about $130) a month – it wasn’t enough,” Joseph said in an interview in Singapore in February 2025. “My wife was three months pregnant, and we already had a two-year-old daughter. It’s very difficult to find jobs in Cameroon now, unemployment is high.” To fund this trip, Joseph emptied his life savings, sold his possessions, including his car, and took on debt.
Bogus job agents generally lure victims in with promises of quick processing time, guaranteed job offers with work visas, free lodging, and high salaries in a safe and stable country. The job opportunities promised are usually in sectors like construction, food and beverage production, and hospitality. However, the costs are steep. Victims are asked to pay between $2,000 and $5,700. That doesn’t include airfare, which can cost an additional $1,200-$1,650.
Unlike Joseph, Jean did not agree to go with the agency right away. In fact, he made several trips to the agency before deciding he could trust them. “My wife went first to check out the office, then I visited three times to talk with them before I decided to accept the offer,” Jean said. “I felt I could trust him because the agent was a religious man, a man of God, and I believed he was a good person.” He was also shown pictures of Cameroonians whom the agency allegedly sent to Singapore before and they claimed were currently earning around $2,600 per month.
Madeleine said that after registering with an agent and paying the necessary fees, she received a copy of a work permit printed with the logos of Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. She later learned that the permit was fake.
Agencies operate from physical offices and present themselves as legitimate businesses. They also employ sophisticated strategies to build trust. None of the victims initially suspected they were being scammed, with the victims describing the agents as being very helpful and responsive to their concerns.
Closer to the date of travel, red flags began to appear when the victims were issued a 30-day tourist visa for Singapore instead of a work visa. Agents reassured the victims that the finalization of the work visa and contract would be confirmed once they are in Singapore.
Once in Singapore, the true nature of the situation revealed itself as the victims were left to fend for themselves. No one picked them up from the airport as promised. Agents who were previously helpful suddenly become strangely unresponsive. Lodging arrangements were incomplete and inconsistent.
Most importantly, there were no jobs. Victims were told that they would be contacted by the partners of the agency or by the employers in Singapore after arrival, but no one ever reached out. In search of help, a few reached out to HOME (the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), a Singapore-based NGO that supports migrant workers. HOME advised them to return home, confirming that the promised jobs did not exist.
Citizens of African countries are currently unable to obtain work permits to get jobs in low-paid sectors in Singapore. No African countries are listed as eligible “source countries” for foreign workers in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and services. However, none of the Cameroonian job applicants knew this.
Sandra became aware of the potential consequences and decided to cut her losses early. After failing to find legitimate work in Singapore and receiving an offer to work in the sex trade illegally in Malaysia, Sandra decided to cut her losses and return to Cameroon. “I decided to go home because I was afraid that if I stayed, I might be trafficked,” she said. While she was initially hesitant to return because of the financial strain she placed on her family, her sisters’ support gave her the strength to go home.
A scam job advertisement targeting Cameroonian job seekers with bogus employment opportunities in Singapore. (Photo Supplied)
Unfortunately, most miss their return flights not only due to logistical challenges, but because of the immense psychological shock and distress they face. The costly deception leaves them vulnerable, both psychologically and situationally. They grapple with intense stress, hopelessness, and desperation – from the pressure to provide for their families, to the challenge of recovering their losses, and a deep sense of shame and failure for falling prey to a scam. At the same time, many Cameroonians are unfamiliar with local context, have limited English proficiency, and lack support systems of any kind.
Madeleine, Jean, and Joseph all wanted to return to Cameroon. Unlike Sandra, however, they missed their return flights and were unable to adjust their flight times.
Madeleine faced an increasingly desperate situation: she had no return flight home, only S$40 in cash, and no guaranteed accommodation. Her tourist visa was expiring within days. Her efforts to secure emergency shelter were unsuccessful due to her tourist visa status. The Singapore Police Force were unable to investigate as the scam incident originated in Cameroon. Her request for a visa extension for more time to seek help to return home legally was rejected. There is no Cameroonian embassy in Singapore and the nearest one in China was unreachable.
Falling Through the Protection Gap
Under the existing international frameworks, victims deceived by cross-border scams, such as the four above Cameroonian nationals, are not formally recognized as victims entitled to systemic protection. While there are clear similarities with trafficking victims, particularly in terms of recruitment through deception, these individuals are not exploited through forced labor or other recognized forms of exploitation under international trafficking law. Their vulnerabilities, however, leave them exposed to heightened risks of future exploitation by other actors.
Such individuals are likely to overstay their visas, either in Singapore or neighboring countries, becoming undocumented immigrants or what the state labels as “illegal immigrants.” This puts them at high risk of arrest, detention, and deportation. They also face increased vulnerability to trafficking and forced labor – especially in the Asia-Pacific region, which reports the highest number of forced labor cases globally. Even if deported, they may face prosecution in Cameroon for attempting to emigrate illegally.
Madeleine and Joseph eventually managed to return to Cameroon legally with help from generous individuals who became aware of their plight. For Joseph, the decision to return home was agonizing, albeit mixed with relief.
Another fraudulent ad promising Cameroonians jobs in Singapore. (Photo Supplied)
“I am ashamed that I was tricked,” he said. “Yes, it was the scammers who deceived us, but I’m the one who made the decision. Now I’m going back with nothing. I have failed my family. I’m supposed to be the head and the provider for my family.”
While they are safely reunited with their families, justice has not yet – and may never be – served. Pursuing a legal case against the scammers requires financial resources that they do not have, and the victims all expressed frustration at what they see as a corrupt justice system.
However, Jean chose to remain in Southeast Asia. After the costly deception, going home for him was worse than the risks that he has to face remaining outside. “I can’t go back,” he said by phone. “If I do, the people I owe will come after me, and I will be arrested. Then who will provide for my wife and child? I will find a solution here. Back home, the system is corrupt, reporting it would be useless, especially since we don’t have the money.” He has met almost 20 other Cameroonians in neighboring countries, each of whom fell into a similar scam and are now staying on and working illegally to recover their losses.
The Costs of Exploitation
Their stories show just how migrant exploitation can go largely undetected and unaddressed. Without recognition, whether locally or through cross-border protections, these scams remain invisible, even when victims seek help. The lack of victim recognition, protection, and clear escalation mechanisms actively buries the issue and ensures it remains unreported.
This invisibility makes the crime lucrative. Perpetrators can easily profit large sums from victims with low risk of facing justice, especially since victims are left stranded overseas without resources and support. If left unchecked, these scams will only continue to grow, strengthening criminal networks and feeding into broader organized crimes by creating a supply of victims that traffickers and criminals can easily prey on.
Apart from challenges in combating organized crime, this also adds to existing pressures around undocumented migration for host governments. The often unnoticed way in which these victims slip into undocumented status can increase humanitarian burdens downstream and raise security concerns.
However, nothing justifies the dehumanization of victims. They are not heard early, when they should be seen as victims, but are instead viewed as potential offenders by Southeast Asian states. Only when they meet legal definitions of exploitation are they recognized, but by then, the damage is often irreversible.
It is especially concerning that African victims are being stranded more than halfway across the world, in environments where they are unfamiliar with local systems, face language barriers, and often lack access to embassy support. This was also seen in the case of more than 130 Ethiopian nationals trapped in scam compounds in Myanmar earlier this year.
Paths to Protection and Justice
Justice systems must be victim-centered and grounded in human rights. At the very least, victims must not be wrongfully prosecuted and should be connected to channels of assistance to return home. Potential cases of migrant exploitation that do not fall under existing domestic or international frameworks need to be recognized, with clear channels for inter-agency communication, reporting, and escalation.
More government-to-government diplomatic channels need to be in place, especially between Southeast Asian and African countries. The absence of a Cameroonian embassy or consulate in Singapore or elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and the difficulties in repatriating Ethiopian victims from scam compounds in the region, underscore the urgent need for stronger diplomatic ties, consular safeguards, and greater involvement from international organizations when direct diplomatic support is limited.
Unfortunately, these largely undetected crimes have already wrecked the lives of many people. We should never be comfortable with inaction or ignore the human costs. Strengthening victim-centered justice systems, ensuring clear protections and support, and improving diplomatic channels are essential to respond effectively to migrant exploitation and support those affected.