Job Scam Leaves Chinese Influencer Drugged, Stranded in Cambodia

A young Chinese woman from Fujian Province has been hospitalized in Cambodia after being found stranded and seriously ill, with tests confirming drug use amid multiple infections, China News Weekly reported today.

The woman surnamed Wu, 20, was once a social media influencer with 24,000 followers on Douyin. She was admitted to a Sihanoukville hospital on January 3 in distress. Medical examinations revealed a lung infection, pleurisy, pleural effusion, urinary retention, and low protein levels, the hospital director said. Notably, a hair test also showed positive results for methamphetamine and ketamine.

According to an earlier Chinese embassy notice, Wu stated she had been lured to Cambodia by the promise of high-paying work before becoming homeless. In a video call with China News Weekly, she said she arrived in March 2025 for a service-industry job arranged by a friend. After a romantic relationship with a local man ended, her health declined, leading to her eviction by a landlord over safety concerns.

A source familiar with the case said Wu appeared confused during police questioning on January 5. "She remembered her old address but not how she was forced out or turned away by hotels," the source added.

During interviews, Wu's memory was fragmented. She mentioned being confined for several days, but could give no details or location, and repeatedly avoided describing her work in Cambodia.

Her mother told reporters Wu left home after middle school and had little contact with the family. They learned of her move to Cambodia over a month after she left. "She only said it was easier to make money there, not what she actually did," her mother said.

According to Jimu News, Wu contacted her family one day before disappearing, requesting money for leg treatment. After her parents transferred 2,200 yuan (US$315), relatives later spotted her in online photos showing her homeless on Cambodian streets. The family lost contact and subsequently reported her missing to the Chinese police.

Wu has repeatedly asked to see her mother, who, assisted by Fujian polic,e is scheduled to travel to Cambodia on January 6 to bring her daughter home.