“Help me“. Inscription on a marketplace box alarmed Kazakhstanis
Tengrinews.kz — What would you do if you saw the word "Help" scrawled on a package from an online marketplace? This is exactly what one customer found after ordering a radiator. She photographed the packaging and asked social media users if there could be something serious behind the strange message. The post quickly garnered nearly a million views. Tengrinews.kz investigated what actually happened.
How it all began
The story was shared by a social media user who noticed the word "Help" right on the box of a radiator she had ordered from an online marketplace.
"I bought radiators on a marketplace, and found this written on the box. What should I do? Is it possible someone is just joking?" the author of the post shared.
Screenshot: Threads
The post amassed nearly 1 million views. In the comments, netizens discussed various theories about what might have happened.
"Labor slavery is no joke. It's better to report this to the authorities," and "If the owner finds out their slave wrote this on the box, they’ll never be seen again," commenters noted.
Police Response
The Almaty Police Department reported that they investigated the incident. According to the department, the message was written by a warehouse employee who explained it was meant as a joke.
"Almaty police officers conducted an investigation into this matter. We identified the customer who posted the publication on social media, as well as the representatives of the online store that sold the goods. During the investigation, it was established that the word 'Help' was written on the packaging by a warehouse employee as a prank. This information was confirmed during the verification process," the department stated.
Police added that they found no grounds to take action against the store or its employees.
"No grounds for taking measures against the store and its employees have been established," the police concluded.
Legal Advice
While this instance turned out to be a false alarm, a customer cannot independently determine whether such a message is a joke or a genuine plea for help regarding a real problem.
We reached out to Farit Aitbagin, a senior lawyer at an international law firm, to explain how to act in such situations. According to him, the first step is to avoid throwing away the packaging or any other potential evidence.
"Do not throw away the packaging; photograph the message, and keep the receipt and the seller's or supplier's details from the app: all of this can serve as physical evidence," he noted.
Afterward, you can contact the police. Aitbagin advises doing more than just calling the 102 emergency line.
"It is better not to limit yourself to a 102 call, but to file a written report — through eOtinish, the Ministry of Internal Affairs website, or in person. In this case, the authorities are obligated to register the appeal and provide a reasoned response within the established timeframe. If there is inaction, you have the opportunity to appeal through the prosecutor's office," the lawyer explained.
He also noted that one should simultaneously involve the platform where the item was purchased. According to the lawyer, this is more effective than using each channel separately.
"You should report the situation through the marketplace support and request the seller's or supplier's details. Typically, platforms have full information on who listed the item, where it was shipped from, and through which warehouse. By law, they are required to cooperate with law enforcement and provide such information upon request. Moreover, a report through official support is logged and creates another paper trail — this keeps the platform itself accountable, as reputational risks regarding such signals are very sensitive for them," Farit shared.
What Not to Do
The one thing the lawyer strongly recommended against is conducting an independent investigation or confronting the seller directly.
"This could scare off the culprits and harm potential victims. All information should be turned over to law enforcement," he noted.
According to the lawyer, it is essential to weigh the balance of risks when filing complaints with the authorities. The cost of a false alarm is low: in the worst-case scenario, an investigation will simply find no violations, and citizens bear no liability for reports made in good faith.
"However, the price of an ignored genuine signal is someone's freedom, and possibly their life. That is why it is worth reporting even when there is a high probability the situation is harmless," the specialist said.
Penalties for Forced Labor in Kazakhstan
Human trafficking is a criminal offense in Kazakhstan. As the lawyer explained, forced labor and human trafficking are classified as serious and especially serious crimes (Articles 128 and 135 of the Criminal Code).
According to the Criminal Code, liability is provided as follows:
Article 128 (Human Trafficking): imprisonment for a term of 4 to 15 years with potential confiscation of property (depending on the specific section of the article);
Article 135 (Trafficking of Minors): imprisonment for a term of 5 to 18 years with confiscation of property (depending on the specific section of the article).
Notably, instances of human trafficking and slavery are still being recorded in Kazakhstan. In April, a court in the Abai region sentenced a 62-year-old recipient of the "Kümis Alqa" (Silver Pendant) award to six years in prison for deceptively sending socially vulnerable individuals to work on farms and pocketing their advance payments.
Farit Aitbagin holds a Bachelor of Laws from Maqsut Narikbayev University. Since 2020, he has worked as a lawyer at an international law firm in Astana, where he currently serves as a Senior Associate. Since 2023, he has balanced this role with his position as Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Legal Consultants.