UN warns of massive cyberscams spreading across the world
Asian crime networks behind the multi-billion-dollar cyberscam industry are expanding their operations globally, the UN warned in a report released on Monday, adding that the official clampdown in Southeast Asia is failing to contain them.
- The UN said Chinese and Southeast Asian gangs were targeting victims through investment, cryptocurrency, romance and other scams.
Countries in east and southeast Asia lost an estimated $37 billion (€32.5 billion) to cyber fraud in 2023, while the United States reported more than $5.6 billion (€4.9 billion) in losses the UNODC report said.
International action needed to tackle crime syndicates
A major crackdown in Myanmar this year, pushed by Beijing, led to around 7,000 workers from more than 50 countries being freed.
There were also raids in Cambodia, but they prompted the crime syndicates to move to "more remote locations" and border areas. Cambodian government spokesman Pen Bona said the country is among the victims of the cyberfraud industry and is committed to fighting it. According to Bona, the government has established an ad-hoc commission chaired by Prime Minister Hun Manet which seeks to boost law enforcement and legal tools while working with international partners and the UN.
UNODC urged the international community to act, saying it was at a “critical inflection point.” According to the UN, staying aside would have "unprecedented consequences for Southeast Asia that reverberate globally."
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
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