Scam centres are compounds often linked to transnational criminal networks that are part of a global, multibillion dollar online fraud industry that has proliferated in south-east Asia in recent years. Countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos have become havens for the criminal activity, which spans online fraud, human trafficking, slavery and money laundering.
Lawless border areas in the region have become particular areas of concern, with satellite imagery and research showing that scam operations have more than doubled along the Thai-Myanmar border since Myanmar’s junta seized power in 2021.
