Man, 22, accepts offer from S'pore-based firm, asked to go for 1-month training at scam-linked Cambodian resort instead

While job-hunting, a 22-year-old man based overseas came across a listing for a "Senior Customer Service Executive" position at a Singapore-based firm, Changting Network Technology Pte. Ltd.

Thinking it was a promising opportunity, Pete (not his real name), decided to apply.

Surprisingly, within just four days, he received a job offer — after only a single phone call and no formal interview.

Pete told Mothership that although there were a few red flags from the start, the biggest one was when he was asked to attend a month-long "training" in Koh Kong Resort, Cambodia.

After doing some research online, Pete discovered that the resort was owned or controlled by Cambodian senator and businessman Ly Yong Phat.

Ly has been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury since September 2024 for his role in "serious human rights abuse related to the treatment of trafficked workers subjected to forced labour in online scam centers."

Concerned, Pete turned to online forums for advice and was told he was likely being targeted in a scam.

In response to Mothership's queries regarding Changting Network Technology, the police confirmed that reports have been lodged regarding the job postings and are investigating the matter.

Job posting online

Pete applied for the role via a job portal.

The listing described a position involving client meetings, maintaining customer relationships, and occasional business trips to countries in the region, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

As the company claimed to be based in Singapore, Pete found it credible and went ahead with the application.

A few days later, he was contacted via the platform by a "manager" who asked whether he was really open to travel as it can be "exhausting".

After Pete said yes, the manager asked him to continue the conversation on the messaging app LINE for a brief interview.

The "interview" took place over a phone call, which Pete assumed was just a preliminary screening.

Another woman who sounded Singaporean or Malaysian was present on the call to help translate, as the manager did not speak English, Pete said.

At the end of the short call, Pete was told they would get back to him with an offer.

"So I was a bit flabbergasted, like that was it? The interview? There's no way it was that chill and easy, they didn't even ask any hard questions, just a brief introduction, where I was from, where I'm currently studying and what major, and then done," he said.

Job offer

Pete received a job offer the next day and proceeded to sign the contract, as he was not fully suspicious at this point.

The offer letter stated that he would be earning around S$3898.

It also stated that his employment will be "governed by the laws of Singapore".

Told to go Cambodia for training

Alarm bells started ringing for Pete when he was eventually asked over the phone to go to Cambodia for a one-month training a week before he was supposed to head down to Singapore.

Confused, he questioned them on the location of the training and found out that it was at Koh Kong Resort.

Once he realised its connection to Ly and the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury, Pete decided not to proceed with the job.

Pete later reported the matter to Singapore authorities via the i-Witness form. He was informed that the police could not investigate, as he is not a Singaporean and the incident did not occur in Singapore.

Ly Yong Phat

Koh Kong Resort is owned by Ly, who is known as a personal adviser to former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen and has links to various Thai and Cambodian politicians.

The U.S. Treasury said in a press release on Sep. 12, 2024, that O-Smach Resort, which is owned by Ly's conglomerate L.Y.P. Group, has been investigated from 2022 to 2024 for "extensive and systemic serious human rights abuse".

They added:

"Victims reported being lured to O-Smach Resort with false employment opportunities, having their phones and passports confiscated upon arrival, and being forced to work scam operations.

People who called for help reported being beaten, abused with electric shocks, made to pay a hefty ransom, or threatened with being sold to other online scam gangs.

There have been two reports of victims jumping to their death from buildings within O‑Smach Resort.

Local authorities have conducted repeated rescue missions at O-Smach Resort, including in October 2022 and March 2024, freeing victims of various nationalities, including Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese."

While Koh Kong Resort was not the subject of these allegations, it was also sanctioned based on its connection to Ly.

Is Changting Network Technology real?

Checks by Mothership on Sep. 23 showed a job listing posted on Aug. 18 for the role of digital advertising manager by Changting Network Technology on the MyCareersFuture job portal.

The listing indicated a salary of S$6,000 to S$10,000 monthly and listed its location at Paya Lebar Square.

Another job listing by the company, posted 11 months ago for the role of senior network security engineer, popped up on LinkedIn as well.

Checks on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) portal by Mothership indicate that Changting Network Technology was incorporated in Singapore on Apr. 8, 2019 and is currently an active company.

Based on its business records, the company's director is a Chinese national with a FIN number, while the secretary is a Singapore citizen.

The director is also listed as its sole shareholder.

Their website, which is still live as of Oct. 8, introduces the company as a "pioneering tech company headquartered in Singapore, dedicated to delivering cutting-edge network technology solutions to global clients".

They specialise in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and more, according to the website.

However, while the website listed its address as the postal code of Singapore Land Tower at 50 Raffles Place, Acra records showed its address as Paya Lebar Square, the same as what was written in Pete's offer letter and on the MyCareersFuture portal.

Emails by Mothership to their listed email ([email protected]) bounced back as the domain could not be found.

The phone number listed on their website was also invalid.

Police warns public to stay vigilant

The Singapore police are now looking into the matter.

They also cautioned members of the public to remain vigilant and check the authenticity of any job offer by carrying out due diligence checks, especially when considering requests that appear unrealistic or unusual.

They can also call the ScamShield Helpline (1799) for assistance if they are unsure of the authenticity or veracity of the job offers.

Top photo via Mothership reader and Google Maps