Large-scale scam organizations based in Southeast Asia are estimated to have generated $64 billion in annual criminal proceeds, with more than 300,000 victims and participants identified, sending shockwaves through the international community.
According to AFP on the 19th (local time), the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a report documenting scam organization cases from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines between 2021 and 2025. The report estimated that more than 300,000 people across Southeast Asia have been involved in scam crimes.
Based on satellite imagery and field reports, 74% of identified scam operations were concentrated in the Mekong River basin. Analysts say a "scam belt" has effectively formed in this specific region.
Criminal proceeds were estimated at $64 billion annually. Victims came from at least 66 countries across Asia, Africa, and other regions. Seventy-five percent of victims said they were connected to organizations through acquaintances such as friends or family.
Most testified they had no idea they would become involved in criminal organizations. Seventy-nine percent of survivors stated they were lured without knowing scam compounds existed. Sixty-eight percent accepted jobs because of salary offers, and 47% were unemployed or in unstable employment at the time.
The report said situations changed dramatically after victims arrived on site. Victims testified they were confined in large facilities surrounded by barbed wire and forced to work up to 19 hours a day.
Punishments were severe. A Sri Lankan victim said that failing to meet monthly fraud targets resulted in hours of confinement in water containers known as "water prisons." A Bangladeshi victim testified to being forced to watch other victims being abused or pressured to participate in violence directly.
A Ghanaian victim testified to watching a friend being beaten before his eyes. A Vietnamese female victim said she was starved for a week after being caught attempting to escape. Allegations of police and border guard complicity were also raised in some areas.
Financial demands targeting families continued. Ransoms ranging from $3,000 to $100,000 were demanded from survivors' families, according to the report.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the cases "shocking and heartbreaking," urging governments to root out corruption and prosecute the criminal organizations behind these operations. He emphasized the need for swift and safe rescue operations to protect victims, rehabilitation guarantees for torture and trauma, and support systems to prevent retaliation risks.