Southeast Asian Scam Hubs Drawing Global Scrutiny as Reach Grows

FILE - In this photo provided by the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, police raid an office in Las Pinas, Philippines, on June 27, 2023. The UN says criminal gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of people in Asia into participating in online scam operations.

Southeast Asia’s online scam hubs are drawing growing attention from governments and law enforcement agencies well beyond the region as the criminal syndicates behind them search further afield for victims of their cons and human trafficking.