The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recently released a report highlighting a severe online scam crisis in Southeast Asia, with hundreds of thousands trafficked and forced into fake investments, cryptocurrency scams, and illegal gambling activities. The report emphasizes that this phenomenon is not only a transnational crime issue but also a severe human rights crisis.
It is estimated that over 120,000 people in Myanmar and nearly 100,000 in Cambodia have been forced into online scams. Additionally, Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand have also become hotbeds for scam trafficking, with tens of thousands deeply involved. These scam groups generate billions of dollars annually, with increasingly professional tactics and complex cross-border operations.
Victims are predominantly foreigners, including citizens from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and even extending to South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Most possess high educational backgrounds and professional skills, and are fluent in multiple languages, making them "ideal tools" for scam groups.
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated in the report: "These individuals are coerced into illegal activities, suffering torture, sexual violence, forced labor, and unlawful detention. They should be regarded as victims, not criminals." He emphasized the need to distinguish between the victims and the manipulators behind the scam activities, to avoid stigmatizing or criminally prosecuting the victims.
The report notes that many victims were originally trapped while seeking legitimate employment. They were often lured to Southeast Asia through false recruitment information, then had their passports confiscated, their personal freedom restricted, and faced violent threats and abuse. The COVID-19 pandemic, with border closures and unemployment waves, further exacerbated the risks of human mobility, turning more people into tools for scams.
Although some countries have introduced anti-scam and anti-trafficking laws, most law enforcement systems have yet to adapt to the complexity of new types of cross-border cybercrime, with significant delays in implementation. The report criticizes that victims are often treated as illegal immigrants or criminals in some countries, facing criminal prosecution and struggling to obtain asylum, psychological support, and legal aid.
Türk calls on affected countries to demonstrate real political will, not only to improve the rule of law and anti-corruption mechanisms but also to establish a human rights-centered transnational judicial cooperation mechanism. He points out: "Only a comprehensive, multi-level response strategy can break the existing impunity pattern, hold the real perpetrators accountable, and protect those who are oppressed."
He also emphasizes the need to end this dark industry chain, with countries working together to tackle corruption, plug systemic loopholes, and provide more public education on cybersecurity and anti-scam measures.
This report once again sounds the alarm, revealing the astonishing expansion of online scams in the era of globalization and the immense challenges the world faces in protecting the rights of victims and holding criminals accountable.
