As of February 19, over 120,000 people have been illegally trafficked and coerced into working for scam centers in Myanmar, often lured by the promise of well-paid jobs in I.T. or other enticing opportunities. These scam centers pull victims even beyond the region, drawing workers from over forty countries. While the staff themselves are coerced into working for the scam centers, their roles also serve to con unsuspecting victims around the world, making it a dual-layered scam operation. Although these scams may appear confined to Southeast Asia, their impact is far-reaching, posing an escalating crisis that extends past its borders and victimizes individuals worldwide.
Trafficked workers are pushed into contacting victims, primarily from the U.S. and China, through online text and messaging apps. Most commonly, workers attempt to develop close relationships with their victims, aiming to swindle them into fraudulent investments. The scams include phony cryptocurrencies, TikTok shopping traps, online gambling, and “pig butchering”—a tactic where victims are encouraged to invest more and more money, allowing scammers to take as much as possible. In 2023, the United Nations estimated that these targeted scams resulted in financial losses of between $18 and $37 billion, underscoring the growing crisis.
Cyber scam centers operate all across Southeast Asia but are most prolific in less developed states such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The latter has become the primary hub of cyber scamming. More than four years after its coup, Myanmar’s military remains engaged in conflicts on multiple fronts, facing armed ethnic militias determined to overthrow its rule. Myanmar’s civil war has resulted in more than 5,000 civilian deaths and the displacement of 3.3 million people. The civil war has shifted the spotlight away from scam center operations. Due to the threat posed by rebel groups, the Myanmar junta is only involved in the consolidation of its power and the maintenance of regional security. This allows for cybercrime, money laundering, and corruption to flourish without governmental opposition. Some rebels and military officers have even tacitly tolerated these scam operations because they receive ample profit from their informal taxation. The lack of accountability in the region has prompted operations to expand, rendering it a hotspot for cyber scams.
In addition to the corrupt disposition of these cyber scam centers, staffing the operations creates an opportunity for serious human rights violations. Upon arrival in Myanmar, victims of illegal trafficking are transported directly from the airport to heavily guarded compounds, commonly known as scam centers. Some staff willingly perform their labor, but most have no choice but to stay, with release only possible if their families pay large ransoms. Those unable to buy their freedom work under inhumane and abusive conditions, in which beatings and torture commonly occur. Rescued workers from Malaysia reported suffering electrocution, caning, and prolonged confinement if they failed to meet the targets set by their enslavers. Global Advance Projects, an anti-trafficking NGO, aided many former workers, documenting the severe effects of the brutal beatings they experienced. The NGO’s International Director, Judah Tana, described the victims’ conditions, “It’s horrific to see them. It’s as if they have walked out of a minefield or a war zone”. The workers’ debilitating conditions indicate the extreme circumstances they have endured, raising serious concerns for Southeast Asia, but also Western governments in today’s increasingly conscientious and globalized world.
The rising number of cyber scams and trafficked victims targeting Chinese citizens has created a significant rift in China–Myanmar diplomatic relations. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration, China has generally supported the Myanmar junta in order to safeguard the Belt and Road Initiative and prevent the conflict from spillover into Yunnan. However, the junta’s inability to crack down on scam centers, coupled with the growing victimization of Chinese citizens, has dramatically altered Xi’s view of the junta. In late October 2023, three ethnic insurgent groups successfully coordinated an attack on the Myanmarese military. The counteroffensive, reportedly approved by Beijing, was justified by the objective of eliminating scam centers along the China–Myanmar border, with accusations that the junta not only tolerated but also profited from the industry. Chinese law enforcement continues to pressure local ethnic militias to hand over Chinese nationals and crack down on scam centers. Thus far, Chinese authorities have had some success in repatriating citizens, including Chinese actor Wang Xing, among 40,000 others. Yet thousands of victims remain trapped in scam centers, where they are subjected to harsh and exploitative conditions.
Due to Xi’s anti-corruption crackdown, scam operations are withdrawing from the Myanmar–China border. Most of these centers originate from China’s organized criminal groups, naturally positioning themselves along that frontier, but have begun pivoting toward the direction of Myanmar’s border with Thailand. Despite the highly mobile nature of these operations and their ability to function beyond borders, neighboring countries continue to identify and target these billion-dollar scam industries. On February 5, 2025, Thailand cut electricity supplies to five locations in neighboring Myanmar that are home to numerous scamming sites, preventing electricity from being misused for scams, drug trafficking, and call centers. In addition to cutting electricity, the Thai government stopped access to fuel and introduced obstacles to banking and visa rules, aiming to prevent scam operators from using Thailand as a transit country for moving workers and cash. Both Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Xi have made their condemnation of these scam centers clear, discussing recent online scamming incidents during their meeting this month. While China and Thailand strive to protect their citizens from cyber scams and human trafficking, these operations continue to target Western victims. The U.S. will consequently enhance its commitment to international collaboration, engaging with China to address the issue so that it may better protect its citizens from the growing threat of scams.
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