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Global Expansion of Cyberscam Syndicates Raises Alarms, UN Warns

A UN report highlights the rapid spread of Southeast Asian crime networks, generating billions annually through scams and forced labor, now operating across Africa, South America, and Europe.

Multinational victims of scam centers, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stand on a vessel floating towards the Thai side of border via Moei River in Phop Phra District, Tak province, Thailand February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Krit Phromsakla Na Sakolnakorn/File Photo
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stuck in limbo at a compound inside the KK Park, a fraud factory, and a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy, Myanmar, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
A general view of Shwe Kokko city, a casino, entertainment, and tourism complex, from Thailand's side of the border, after Thailand said it would suspend electricity supply to some border areas with Myanmar in an effort to curb scam centers, amid growing pressure on the illegal compounds that have ensnared vast numbers of people of multiple nationalities, in Mae Sot district, Thailand, February 5, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo
FILE - People from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia, believed to have been trafficked and forced to work in scam centers, sit with their faces masked while in detention after being released from the centers in Myawaddy district in eastern Myanmar, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanaphon Wuttison, File)

Overview

  • Hundreds of large-scale scam centers, originally based in Southeast Asia, have expanded globally, generating nearly $40 billion annually, according to the UNODC report released Monday.
  • The scam networks exploit trafficked workers in sprawling compounds, forcing them to execute online scams targeting victims worldwide through romance, investment, and gambling fraud.
  • Crackdowns in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos have pushed syndicates to relocate to remote areas and expand operations into Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, and even Pacific islands.
  • Criminal groups have diversified their workforce, recruiting individuals from over 50 nationalities, and partnered with transnational crime organizations to launder money through cryptocurrency and underground banking.
  • The UNODC report warns that without stronger international cooperation, these adaptable and tech-savvy syndicates will continue to evade enforcement and scale their operations further.