The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently reported that the "telecom fraud gangs" that have been entrenched in Southeast Asia for years have begun to appear in parts of South America and Africa.
These online fraud industries from Southeast Asia are "deliberately" expanding to Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe, with a spread rate far exceeding traditional transnational crime. If not contained, once these criminal gangs take root in the region, it will be a "disaster" for these countries.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime believes that the fundamental reason for the spread of telecom fraud is that the local countries in Southeast Asia have not been thorough and effective in cracking down on these "gangs". This is an old problem; years ago, the reason why telecom fraud was able to "develop" unscrupulously in some Southeast Asian countries is complex.
In addition to the huge "interest chain" behind telecom fraud, the main reason is the "indulgence" and inaction of the local governments.
These criminal groups, through forced labor and human trafficking, have established large-scale scam parks in places like Myanmar and Thailand, "recruiting" tens of thousands of employees, forming a mature chain integrating technology development, traffic diversion, and money laundering.
Earlier this year, as law enforcement actions in Southeast Asia intensified, these criminal groups began "deliberately" moving to regions with weak regulation.
The report points out that Africa's Zambia, Angola, Namibia, and drug trafficking organizations in South America have become new targets.
The criminal groups establish strongholds quickly by collaborating with local illegal forces and utilizing the money laundering channels of drug trafficking networks.
The "light asset" nature of online fraud enables it to replicate quickly. Fraud groups do not need to transport physical materials across borders; they only need online tools to cover global victims.
Although Southeast Asian countries have strengthened their efforts to combat telecom fraud, the lag in international collaboration allows criminal groups to survive attacks.
For example, although joint actions between China and Thailand have rescued some individuals, the criminal network can still "revive" by moving to places like Laos and Georgia.
Therefore, eradicating telecom fraud requires a systematic approach; merely relying on local "firefighting" is far from sufficient.
Telecom fraud can survive long-term, supported by huge "interests" behind it.
According to incomplete statistics, the fraud industry generates tens of billions of dollars in profits each year, far exceeding the GDP of some countries. In some countries in Africa and South America, poverty is the original sin; for a "bite to eat," many people can only "reluctantly" take risks. Poverty and backwardness are the main reasons why telecom fraud can take root in the region.
Take Namibia in Africa as an example; currently, the country's unemployment rate is as high as 33%. Criminal groups can lure a large number of locals to participate in fraud by offering "high-paying jobs".
Currently, the regional cooperation model in the China-Thailand-Myanmar area has shown initial success. Last year, the Lancang-Mekong Six Countries "Seagull Operation" cracked more than 160 fraud cases and arrested over 70,000 people; joint actions remain the most effective means of combat.
How to "effectively" combat? Technical countermeasures, from "passive defense" to "active hunting" need to establish a unified global digital tracking system, using AI algorithms to monitor abnormal fund movements and suspicious IP addresses in real-time.
At the same time, promote cooperation between Interpol and technology companies to develop anti-fraud "firewalls" to compress the crime space at the technical level.
Institutional innovation, breaking the "glass door" of transnational law enforcement, promoting the upgrade of the "United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime", clarifying the jurisdiction and extradition rules of transnational crime.
Establish a "regional law enforcement alliance", such as the ASEAN-South America anti-fraud cooperation mechanism, to achieve integrated operations of intelligence sharing, joint investigation, and cross-border arrest. Social governance, from "end-point strike" to "source governance" blocking is not as good as dredging, poverty and lack of education have always been the breeding ground for crime expansion.
The most effective way to solve telecom fraud is to "eliminate" local poverty and lack of education.
The international community should increase aid to vulnerable countries, help them improve anti-human trafficking laws, enhance education levels, and provide job opportunities.
For example, "digital literacy education" can be promoted in Africa to reduce the risk of the public becoming accomplices in fraud due to information asymmetry.
