In Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, Cyber Scams Result in $43.8 Billion in Annual Revenue

According to a report presented in Bangkok, cyber scams are international crimes perpetrated by criminal groups in Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, and Laos that generate about 43.8 billion dollars in profits annually, representing 40% of the combined GDP of the three countries. The report, published by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), highlights that powerful criminal organizations, with ties to China, have turned Southeast Asia into a hub for cyber scams that deceive people around the world, especially in China and the United States.

The report reveals that these criminal groups use hundreds of thousands of workers who are lured in with job offers and then coerced into committing fraud under exploitative conditions resembling slavery. The groups utilize advanced technology to carry out their crimes and earn billions through scams. Furthermore, the criminal organizations have connections to corrupt elements within authorities in countries like Cambodia and Burma.

Burma has been a significant location for cyber scam centers, particularly near the Chinese border. Although some of these activities have been curtailed due to guerrilla offensives against the military junta since October, online scam centers continue operating further south near the Thai border under the control of militias aligned with the Burmese military junta.

In addition to cyber scams, these criminal organizations also operate illegal betting establishments and use their networks to launder illicit money in Southeast Asian countries, Hong Kong, and Dubai. The laundered funds are then invested in real estate in Europe, Canada, and the United States. The United Nations reported last August that at least 120,000 individuals are being held in centers in Burma where they are compelled to carry out internet scams, while in Cambodia, an estimated 100,000 people are involved in similar activities.