Around 7,000 people rescued from illegal call centers in Myanmar are awaiting transfer to Thailand amid a crackdown on cross-border scam operations, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Wednesday. Many of those trapped in the operations — primarily from China, Thailand, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations — are forced to run scams such as romance fraud, cryptocurrency swindles and fake investment schemes. The crackdown is part of growing regional efforts to combat cyber scams run by criminal syndicates in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, which have forced thousands into fraudulent online schemes. In February, Thailand cut power to three areas in Myanmar known as scam hubs, while Chinese security officials visited the Thai-Myanmar border ahead of the expected repatriation of about 200 Chinese nationals. China and Thailand have long pressed Myanmar to dismantle these networks, but ongoing political instability and the involvement of armed groups have hindered efforts. A Myanmar ethnic militia said over the weekend that it was preparing to deport 10,000 people linked to cyber scams from its territory to Thailand. Earlier this year, China and Thailand agreed to establish a coordination center in Bangkok to combat cyber fraud. The United Nations estimates that scams targeting victims across East and Southeast Asia caused financial losses between $18 billion and $37 billion in 2023. Past reports suggest criminal groups behind the schemes, which generate billions of dollars in illicit profits, have been able to relocate. It also said around 120,000 people had been trafficked into Myanmar’s scam networks, where they often face threats, torture and sexual violence.
This Cyber News was published on therecord.media. Publication date: Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:55:08 +0000