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Key points
- The International Organization for Migration estimates that roughly 300,000 people from more than 80 countries are exploited in Asian scam compounds.
- Amy Pope said fraudulent job advertisements lure recruits before their documents are confiscated and they are forced to conduct online fraud.
- Myanmar’s military-backed parliament approved penalties, including execution, for using violence or coercion to force people into online scams.
- IOM-cited U.N. figures put scam-related losses in 2025 at $114 billion across East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
How the story developed
A living timeline
All times shown in UTC
Latest development
Myanmar’s military-backed parliament approved legislation allowing severe penalties, including execution, for coercive abuse connected to online scams.
Latest development
The International Organization for Migration warned of a sharp increase in trafficking into Asian scam compounds, involving people from more than 80 countries.
With information from: Deutsche Welle, The Japan Times.
- UN says online scam center trafficking is skyrocketingDW Top Stories
- U.N. says human trafficking into Asian scam centers is surgingThe Japan Times