Criminal Gangs Forcing Hundreds of Thousands of People Into Online Scams in Southeast Asia, UN Warns

The UN human rights agency reported that criminal gangs have tricked hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asians into internet scams involving phony romance, investing, and gambling.

A recent UN High Commissioner for Human Rights research found that 100,000 people in Cambodia and at least 120,000 in Myanmar may be "forced to conduct online scams." Moreover, tens of thousands of people's primary countries of destination or transit included Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The recent UN report sheds light on cybercrimes, which have become a major issue in Asia, as criminal organizations "targeted migrants in vulnerable situations for recruitment into criminal operations under the pretense of offering them real jobs." The study also noted that several scam victims have experienced torture, harsh penalties, sexual assault, and arbitrary incarceration, among other crimes.

"People who are coerced into working in these scamming operations endure inhumane treatment while being forced to carry out crimes. They are victims. They are not criminals," said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, as per an AP News report.

Cambodia Official Blasts UN Report

Based on the "enormity" of the online scams, the UN rights office estimated that their annual effect on individuals and income is in the billions of dollars due to their secrecy and inadequacies in government reaction.

However, Cambodian police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun questioned the figure indicated in the UN report. Reuters quoted the official as commenting, "Have they investigated? Where did they get the data? Foreigners are just saying things."

Growing Cybercrime Operations in Asia

The UN Human Rights Office study was one of the most thorough on online scams, which have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by casino closures that led to movements into less controlled Southeast Asian regions.

The rapidly increasing fraud centers generate billions of dollars annually, according to a study. Most trafficking victims were from Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, but some were from Africa and Latin America.

The UN rights office urged regional governments to uphold the law and combat corruption to "break the cycle of impunity" that fosters the growth of illicit businesses, according to a report from Al Jazeera.

June saw Philippine police and commandos rescue 2,700 workers from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and a dozen other countries who were swindled into working for illegal online gambling enterprises and other cybercrime organizations.

At a conference in Indonesia in May, ASEAN leaders pledged to enhance border restrictions, law enforcement, and public education to counter criminal syndicates that send employees abroad to commit online fraud.