A new UN report estimates that hundreds of thousands of individuals from around the globe have been trafficked to Southeast Asia in order to operate online scams.
At least 120,000 Myanmar citizens and 100,000 Cambodians have been coerced into working for these schemes. The majority of victims are men from Asia, but others have migrated from Africa and Latin America. Although the problem has existed for years, the UN report is the first exhaustive examination of its scope.
According to the report, as millions of people were confined to their residences due to pandemic-related shutdowns and spent more time online, they became prime targets for the masterminds of online fraud schemes.
And while criminal gangs have historically preyed on uneducated individuals desperate for quick cash, they are now targeting victims with professional employment who frequently hold graduate or even post-graduate degrees.
According to the report, many of these jurisdictions where people are coerced into cybercrime have inadequate governance, the rule of law, and contested authority.
As we continue to demand justice for those who have fallen victim to online criminality, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, said, “We must not forget that this complex phenomenon has two sets of victims.”
The United Nations estimates that these fraud centers generate billions of dollars annually. Numerous media entities, including the BBC, have conducted extensive interviews with victims of these criminal networks.
Often, they are lured by ads promising simple work and extravagant benefits, then tricked into traveling to Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
After their arrival, they are incarcerated and forced to labor in online scam centers. Those who do not comply face potential safety risks. Many have been tortured and subjected to inhumane treatment.
In what is commonly known as “pig-butchering” scams, some networks also target individuals seeking love and romance. Tragically, a 25-year-old Malaysian was tormented to death after traveling to Bangkok to meet a “girlfriend,” with whom he had only communicated online.
Instead, he was trafficked to Myanmar and compelled to work for online fraud companies. During one of his final phone calls to his parents, he reported being beaten for purportedly faking illness. After a month of intensive care, he passed away.
According to the UN, existing regulations in many Southeast Asian nations fall short of international standards and have “in large part” failed to respond adequately to the evolution of online fraud operations since the pandemic.
Pia Oberoi, a senior adviser on migration at the United Nations Human Rights Office, stated that many more cases went unreported because the victims experienced “stigma and shame” for the work they were duped into performing.
In addition to combating organized crime and enforcing border controls, a suitable response should provide protection and justice for victims of human trafficking, according to the report.
Mr. Türk urged governments to take decisive action against these illicit networks.
“All affected states have to demonstrate the political will to strengthen human rights, governance, and the rule of law, including through sustained efforts to combat corruption,” he stated.