BANGKOK – The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia announced on January 4 the successful rescue of a 20-year-old Chinese social media influencer who was found begging on the streets of Sihanoukville after falling victim to a transnational job scam.

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The victim, identified by her surname Wu, had been lured to the coastal Cambodian city with promises of high-paying employment, only to be abandoned by a criminal syndicate. A content creator from China’s Fujian province with more than 24,000 followers, Wu became the subject of an online campaign after photos circulated showing her visibly emaciated, sitting outside a hotel with a severely broken leg and clutching her own CT scan films.

Her ordeal began in April 2025 when she traveled to Cambodia after being deceived by fraudulent job recruiters. For months, she had told her family she was working in China’s Jiangsu province. Concern grew after her family had sent her more than 80,000 yuan (approximately $11,400) for living expenses before she disappeared in late December.

A 20-year-old female #influencer from #Fujian has been seen wandering the streets of #Cambodia with a suspected leg injury. Online posts claim she was abandoned near a hotel in Sihanoukville on Dec 26 last year, with photos showing her holding a CT scan. #China pic.twitter.com/x0J0wD7vno

— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) January 4, 2026

Following a social media outcry, Chinese embassy officials located Wu in a local hospital on January 3 and arranged her transfer to a better-equipped medical facility for urgent treatment. Wu reported to authorities that she had been discarded by the scam operation once they deemed her no longer useful.

The embassy issued a warning about criminal networks that frequently lure young Chinese nationals abroad with false job offers, often confiscating their passports and subjecting them to exploitation, abuse, or neglect.

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Officials are now coordinating with Wu’s family to facilitate her repatriation to China once her health condition stabilizes. The case has drawn renewed attention to the dangers of overseas job scams and the vulnerability of young travelers seeking work abroad.

-Thailand News (TN)