Chiedza was trafficked and enslaved to perpetrate online scams in Myanmar

Four months after returning home, Chiedza (not her real name), 33, is still grappling with the trauma of being trafficked to Southeast Asia, where she was forced to work in online scam operations under brutal conditions.

The single mother of two left Zimbabwe in November 2024 believing she had secured a job in Thailand, only to find herself trapped in a criminal network in Myanmar. Her passport was confiscated and she was taken to Shwe Kokko, a city notorious for cybercrime syndicates, where she was forced to scam unsuspecting victims online.

According to the United Nations, more than 300,000 people worldwide have been trafficked into similar operations across Southeast Asia, with victims primarily drawn from Africa and Asia.

Chiedza, who had worked as a barista for a decade, said she was lured by a friend who encouraged her to apply for a sales job at an electronics store. She received an offer letter within a day via WhatsApp.

"The document was in English and Chinese, and they told me I would sign it when I arrived," she said.

But her journey was abruptly diverted to Myanmar, where she was handed a contract written only in Chinese and forced into cyber fraud.

"I was assigned to lure wealthy people using fake social media accounts and convince them to invest in cryptocurrencies linked to our employer," she said.

She described being locked in dark rooms, deprived of freedom, and threatened with violence. At one point, her captor demanded a "recruitment debt" of US$210,000 — an amount her family in Zimbabwe desperately tried to raise.

"He gave me three options: work for him, sell myself into prostitution, or be sold to people who extract body parts," she said. "To survive, I chose to work."

Chiedza was among approximately 150 Africans held captive at the compound, forced to operate scams for nearly a year without pay. A 2023 report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that around 120,000 people are trapped in such operations in Myanmar alone, generating billions in illicit profits annually.

Her ordeal ended in late 2025 when Myanmar authorities raided the compound and rescued victims. However, her struggle did not end there.

After being taken to a detention centre, she contacted Zimbabwean officials for assistance but says she only received travel documents, with no support for airfare.

"They told us to wait or find other means," she said. "We saw other countries evacuating their citizens, but we were left behind."

She claims conditions deteriorated during the wait, with survivors facing hunger and lack of medical care.

Experts say Zimbabwe faces significant financial and institutional constraints in responding to trafficking cases. Human trafficking specialist Gerald Shirichena notes that repatriation efforts require substantial resources, including flights, accommodation and reintegration support, which are often beyond the government's capacity.

Eventually, Chiedza turned to the internet for help, securing sponsorship from a donor in the United States who funded her return home. Since then, she has helped raise funds for other survivors, enabling at least three to return to Zimbabwe earlier this year.

Organizations like the International Organization for Migration warn that delayed repatriation increases the risk of re-trafficking and long-term psychological harm. Survivors also face stigma upon return, particularly women, who may struggle to reintegrate into their communities.

The U.S. State Department has also flagged Zimbabwe's shortcomings in combating trafficking, citing gaps in legislation, funding and victim support systems.

Calls are growing for urgent reforms to strengthen protections for victims, regulate recruitment agencies and ensure traffickers are held accountable.

Despite her ordeal, Chiedza is now focused on rebuilding her life and helping others avoid the same fate.

"I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through," she said.