UN Warns of Global Expansion of Asian Cybercrime Syndicates

On 21st April 2025, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report, titled ‘Inflection Point: Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia’. The report highlighted that cybercrime syndicates based in East and Southeast Asia caused an estimated $37 billion in regional losses, with global expansion posing new security threats.

Key Points

Massive Losses in 2023: Victims across East and Southeast Asia lost $37bn due to scams including fake investments, romance cons, and cryptocurrency frauds.
Forced Labour Operations: Gangs run squalid compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, exploiting trafficked workers to fuel operations.
Global Spread: Syndicates have established networks in Africa, the Middle East, South America, Europe, and the Pacific Islands.
Alliances with Global Mafias: Expanded money laundering through links with South American drug cartels, the Italian mafia, and Irish gangs.
Crypto Mining as a Cover: Illegal crypto operations are increasingly used to hide illicit financial flows.
High-Tech Ecosystems: Criminals use encrypted messaging, digital wallets, and decentralized currencies to evade detection.
Evading Crackdowns: Despite raids and enforcement—like Myanmar freeing 7,000 trafficked workers—syndicates quickly shift operations.