21 more Malaysian scam victims return from Cambodia, Laos

SEPANG, Malaysia (AP) — An additional 21 Malaysians rescued from human traffickers in Cambodia and Laos have returned home as the government intensifies efforts to locate scam victims reported missing abroad. Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah says the government has now managed to rescue 273 people out of 401 reported missing in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Some opposition politicians say the 401 are only a fraction of the actual number of Malaysians who have been caught in scams. A U.N. envoy has said the scam networks attract educated young workers with promises of high earnings who are then subject to isolation and the threat of violence unless they succeed in cheating victims reached by phone into transferring payments into overseas bank accounts.