Southeast Asia's Scam Hub: Why Online Fraud Networks Persist Despite Crackdowns

People from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia, believed to have been trafficked and forced to work in scam centres, sit with their faces masked while in detention after being released from the centres in Myawaddy district in eastern Myanmar, February 26, 2025. File Image/AP

Explainers

F

Firstpost•08-01-2026, 17:14

Southeast Asia's Scam Hub: Why Online Fraud Networks Persist Despite Crackdowns

•Cambodia extradited tycoon Chen Zhi, accused of leading a massive cross-border online fraud network exploiting trafficked laborers.
•Hundreds of thousands are trapped in forced labor in Southeast Asian compounds, compelled to run scams siphoning billions globally.
•Scam centers evolved from online casinos, adapting infrastructure to digital fraud during the pandemic, targeting victims worldwide.
•Despite crackdowns like Myanmar's KK Park, operations relocate, and new centers emerge, making dismantling the industry challenging.
•Workers are lured by false promises, passports confiscated, and face abuse; victims lose millions to various sophisticated scams.

Why It Matters: Southeast Asia remains a global online scam hub due to adaptable networks, forced labor, and influential protection.

Read Full Article on Firstpost in English

✦

More like this

Loading more articles...