Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) Sabah has appealed to the Malaysian Government and relevant authorities to assist in locating and bringing home a Sabahan believed to have fallen victim to a job scam syndicate in Cambodia.
The appeal was made at a press conference Wednesday by MHO officials together with the family of 26-year-old Allen Scott Willfraid from Kota Belud, who is believed to have been trafficked to Cambodia after accepting what was thought to be a legitimate overseas job offer.
Allen’s family sought MHO’s assistance after losing contact with him. His mother, Jusneh, and two cousins attended the press conference.
Sabah MHO coordinator Capt (R) Jerry Jaimeh said information received by the organisation indicated that Allen had previously worked offshore. After completing his contract, he is believed to have accepted an overseas job opportunity before travelling to Cambodia.
Jerry explained that Allen had initially told his cousin that he intended to travel to South Korea in search of work. However, on Dec 25, 2025, he informed the cousin that he was at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2) preparing to depart for Thailand.
MHO believes he subsequently ended up in Cambodia, where he was made to work as a “promoter”, while his passport was allegedly confiscated by his employer.
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“From the information we received, he went to Cambodia in December after being offered employment. He remained in contact with his family several times, but communication stopped about six to seven weeks ago, with last contact being on June 16,” Jerry said.
The family’s concern deepened after receiving a WhatsApp call from an individual claiming to be Allen’s friend. The caller alleged that Allen had been detained in Cambodia and demanded an advance payment of RM6,000 to secure his release.
“We believe the demand for RM6,000 is most likely another scam. Based on our previous experience, families should not make any payment until the information has been verified,” Jerry said.
He explained that although many scam compounds in Cambodia have been dismantled through joint operations involving Cambodian authorities and international law enforcement agencies, some continue operating independently and remain active in recruiting foreign job seekers.
Jerry believes Allen may have been lured overseas through a fraudulent employment offer before becoming trapped in one of these scam operations.
Meanwhile, Jusneh said the last time she personally spoke to her son was on May 31, when he simply said he wanted to return home.
“He just said he wanted to come home. He didn’t tell me where he was or that he was in trouble,” she said, while another cousin revealed that Allen had privately shared that he was under severe stress because the work he was doing was not the job he had expected.
Jerry said Allen had deliberately kept many details from his parents because both suffer from health problems and he did not want them to worry. Instead, he confided more information to his cousin and asked that his parents not be told he had travelled to Cambodia.
MHO has since conducted checks with Malaysia’s Immigration Department, which confirmed that Allen departed Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Dec 25, 2025.
The organisation is now preparing to begin efforts to trace Allen in Cambodia. However, Jerry acknowledged that the operation would be significantly more challenging than previous rescue missions because MHO has not been able to verify Allen’s exact location.
“The biggest challenge is that we do not know where he is. In most previous cases, victims managed to send us their location or videos showing where they were being held.
In Allen’s case, the only lead we have comes from a third party who demanded money from the family,” Jerry said.
The only location available to MHO is an image believed to show a detention facility in Cambodia that was sent by the individual demanding payment. MHO plans to verify whether Allen is being held there before seeking further assistance from the Malaysian Embassy and the Cambodian authorities, if necessary.
MHO urged anyone with information regarding Allen’s whereabouts to come forward and appealed to the Malaysian Government, diplomatic authorities and Cambodian officials to assist in locating him and facilitating his safe return to Sabah.
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