My Trafficked Ugandan Friend Is Alive and Can’t Get Home
Update from Cambodia: Sam was released from the scam compound, but is now trapped with no way to get home.
Episode 38: Months ago, Erin was in regular contact with Sam, a young man from Uganda who had been trafficked into a scam compound in Cambodia. Beaten, confined, and forced to scam victims around the world, he disappeared in late September — leading Erin to fear the worst. On Thursday, a WhatsApp message arrived.
Last summer, Erin was contacted by a man we’ll call “Sam,” who had been trafficked from Uganda to Cambodia. He shared the coordinates of the compound where he was being held. Erin’s colleagues in Cambodia went to the location and confirmed there was no way to rescue him. But they continued to talk.
Sam shared information about what he was experiencing with his brother and Erin. It was truly horrific. He was being forced to scam Americans and steal money from people around the world. And he had no choice but to scam or face physical harm. And he was deeply physically harmed and horrifically emotionally wounded.
As time passed, there were times when Erin didn't hear from Sam or his brother. Starting in late September, there was no word from Sam. There are many reports of people dying in the compounds. We knew it was happening. She was convinced he’d been killed.
Here’s what’s really happening in Cambodia right now. We have a humanitarian crisis — and I don’t use the word “crisis” lightly. — Erin West
In this episode, Erin shares what happened next — and why his “release” from the compound is not the happy ending it might sound like. There’s a new humanitarian crisis unfolding in Cambodia right now: Thousands of trafficking victims have been released from scam compounds, suddenly pushed onto the streets with no money, no valid documents, no clear path home, and constant fear of arrest.
This is the other side of the scamdemic. The side we don’t talk about enough. The human cost. The broken systems. And the hard truth is that shutting down scam compounds without a plan doesn’t equal freedom for victims of human trafficking.
Listen to Erin’s urgent update from the front lines of a crisis that is far from over.
Don’t think for a moment that they’ve cleared out all the scam compounds, everybody is free to leave, and everything is sunshine and rainbows. It’s far from the truth. — Erin West
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