Ethical Hacking News
Thousands of trafficked scammers are awaiting return to Thailand as part of a major crackdown on the pervasive criminal activity across its border with Myanmar. The world has long been aware of human trafficking, but a growing concern is emerging – trafficked scammers being exploited to run call centers that scam vulnerable individuals from around the globe.
Thousands of trafficked scammers are awaiting return to Thailand as part of a major crackdown on human trafficking and scam call centers. Thailand has partnered with China to establish new coordination centers in Bangkok and Mae Sot to tackle human trafficking and related scam call centers. Human trafficking for cyber fraud is expanding globally, with hundreds of thousands of trafficked call center staff estimated to exist worldwide. Romance scammers cost victims $1.3 billion last year alone through tactics such as showering them with affection and swindling them of large sums of money. The victims of these scam call centers are often subjected to physical and sexual abuse, including in cases involving organ harvesting.
The world has long been aware of the horrors of human trafficking, but a growing concern is emerging – trafficked scammers being exploited to run call centers that scam vulnerable individuals from around the globe. According to recent reports, thousands of trafficked scammers are awaiting return to Thailand as part of a major crackdown on the pervasive criminal activity across its border with Myanmar.
Thailand has taken steps to address this growing concern, partnering with China in efforts to stamp out human trafficking and related scam call centers. The two countries have announced plans to establish new coordination centers in Bangkok and Mae Sot to tackle these cases, further demonstrating the international cooperation required to combat this heinous crime.
A major crackdown on abusive industry started during COVID-19, leading to a significant increase in investigations into scam call centers. These illicit operations are often staffed by people who were illegally trafficked into them, with victims being lured from countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos using fake job adverts. Once there, they secure a job, travel to the new country at the expense of the scammers, have their passports confiscated, and then work off their debt in these illegal call centers.
The scale of this problem is staggering, with Interpol warning that human trafficking for cyber fraud is expanding beyond Southeast Asia into South America and the Middle East. The agency has been tracking this phenomenon since 2021, citing "credible sources" to suggest that hundreds of thousands of trafficked call center staff exist worldwide.
Romance scammers' favorite lies cost victims $1.3 billion last year alone. These scammers often use tactics such as showering their victims with affection to build trust and then asking for money for fictitious reasons, ultimately swindling victims of large sums of money.
The UK's Action Fraud highlights the devastating effects on these victims, who are left feeling ashamed, embarrassed, financially insecure, and even more vulnerable than before. However, for the people trafficked into these call center jobs, scamming victims is a matter of survival – a product of the abject abuse to which they're exposed.
Victims are often subjected to physical and sexual abuse during their time in these call centers, with some cases involving organ harvesting. It's an epidemic that Interpol says requires coordinated global action to stop, citing advancements in technology such as cryptocurrencies and AI as major factors in its growth.
Law enforcement agencies worldwide have begun working together to counter this issue, including the UK, US, Interpol, and others. In recent months, there have been reports of arrests in various cases, further highlighting the efforts being made to combat human trafficking.
The statistics are alarming – it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of trafficked call center staff exist worldwide. This highlights the need for global cooperation to tackle this epidemic.
Thailand's partnership with China marks an important step forward in tackling these crimes, further demonstrating the international effort needed to address this growing concern.
Related Information:
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/02/21/thailand_ready_to_welcome_7000/
Published: Thu Feb 20 22:34:04 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
