The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has sounded the alarm on the rapid expansion of cybercrime syndicates from Southeast Asia into Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe.
These syndicates have evolved into a global enterprise, becoming more sophisticated and resilient despite regional crackdowns.
“These operations have become a sophisticated global industry. It spreads like a cancer. Authorities treat it in one area, but the roots never disappear—they simply migrate,” said John Wojcik, a regional analyst for the UNODC.
The syndicates, initially concentrated in countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, now operate in over 50 countries, including Nigeria, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan.
They have built scam compounds resembling corporate campuses, housing tens of thousands of trafficked workers forced into online scams.
The UNODC estimates that hundreds of such compounds generate tens of billions of dollars annually.
In 2023, the United States reported over $5.6 billion in losses due to cryptocurrency scams, including $4 million from “pig-butchering” or romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals. These operations have become a significant threat to global financial security.
Adaptation and Relocation
Despite crackdowns in China, Thailand, and Myanmar, the syndicates have adapted by relocating to under-policed regions. Raids in Cambodia have pushed operations to remote provinces like Koh Kong. Myanmar continues to serve as a major hub amid internal conflict and weak governance.
The syndicates are establishing new bases in South America, seeking financial partnerships with drug cartels, and in Africa, including Zambia, Angola, and Namibia.
Eastern European countries like Georgia have also become targets for expansion. A recent operation in Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 792 individuals, including 148 Chinese nationals, for alleged involvement in cyberfraud schemes.
The EFCC noted that local accomplices’ identities were used to mask international recruiters’ operations.
The UNODC wants stronger international cooperation to disrupt financial flows supporting these networks. “We need to address not only the fraud but also the underlying issues of trafficking and exploitation.”
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