“The treatment of individuals in the context of fraudulent transactions is alarming,” the report states.
The report, titled A wicked problemis based on in-depth, trauma-sensitive interviews with victims of trafficking and forced to work in scam centers, and information from a variety of sources, including confidential sources. It was published on Friday in Geneva by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In March 2025, victims from 66 countries were trafficked to online scam hubs.
The business behind the abuse
The “scam industry” has grown to “industrial proportions,” according to the report, with credible estimates pointing to at least 300,000 people working in operations across Southeast Asia. Most of them are concentrated in the Mekong region, where satellite images show that 74 percent of the fraudulent complexes are located there.
While calculating exact earnings is difficult, some sources estimate global annual revenue at around $64 billion. In the Mekong region alone, the industry can be worth more than $43.8 billion a year.
These fraudulent operations are “entrenched” and “well-resourced,” the report notes, and their locations range from remote border areas to special economic zones and major cities.
“The litany of abuses is staggering and heartbreaking at the same time,”said the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
“However, instead of receiving protection, care and rehabilitation, as well as the avenues to justice and reparation to which they are entitled, Too often, victims face disbelief, stigmatization, and even greater punishment.“
Gender, age, location, education and work experience background of victims forced to work in scam centers.
Inside the luxurious complexes
Survivors described vast compounds that resembled “self-governing cities, some of which span more than 500 acres.”
The multi-story buildings are surrounded by walls topped with barbed wire and guarded by armed security personnel. Some even contain supermarkets, restaurants, casinos and brothels.
More agile operations operate from apartments, hotels or closed houses. Regardless of scale, the defining characteristic is control.
Victims reported confiscated passports, restricted communication and constant surveillance. Many described the compounds as “prisons,” with locked doors and harsh punishments for attempted escapes.
Forced to commit crimes
Those trafficked into the complexes are forced to perpetrate a variety of online scams, including phishing fraud, cryptocurrency investment schemes, gambling platforms, extortion, and so-called romance scams.
Operations are highly organized, with different units handling scam target recruitment, script development, and financial transfers. Profits are typically laundered through mule or proxy bank accounts, converted into cryptocurrency, and moved through complex digital channels before re-entering formal banking systems.
Even those who knew they would be working dubious jobs online did not expect arrests or violence. “All victims described receiving and/or witnessing serious ill-treatment amounting to torture within scam complexes,”says the report.
“Morning assemblies often included underperforming teams being publicly subjected to torture as a warning to others.“
Factors that persuade victims to work in scam centers.
Abuse as an app
The punishment for not meeting scam quotas is severe. A Sri Lankan survivor recounted being immersed in “water prisons” for hours after failing to meet his monthly goals. Others described confinement rooms where People were locked in complete darkness for days..
The victims reported being forced to witnessing or even carrying out abuse against others. A Bangladeshi man said he was ordered to beat his co-workers. A Ghanaian victim was forced to watch his friend being beaten.
Victims frequently mentioned deaths at the complex.
Sexual violence has reportedly increased since 2024. The women described rape, forced prostitution and forced abortions. Male victims reported humiliation and sexual assault. Twelve women freed from compounds in Myanmar said they were raped and impregnated, while a pregnant Filipino survivor suffered physical violence and electrocution.
Food deprivation, lack of sleep, and extreme work hours (up to 19 hours a day) were common. One victim said his group received almost no food for 15 to 20 days and became very weak. “We couldn’t even stand.”
What OHCHR says should happen
Without coordinated action based on human rights principles, the office warns, the convergence of cybercrime, corruption and human trafficking will continue to expand.
- Insert “principle of no punishment” in the law, so trafficking victims are not prosecuted for the crimes they were forced to commit.
- Guarantee safe and timely rescue operations and protections under the law.
- Provide trauma-based medical and psychological rehabilitation – regardless of immigration status.
- Expand safe labor migration access routes and strengthen supervision of recruitment agencies.
- End corruption and official collusion that allows fraudulent compounds.
- Strengthen cooperation between governments, digital platforms and financial institutions to disrupt online recruitment and money laundering.
Read the full report here.
Theft of wages, debts and ransoms
Most victims said they were promised substantial salaries, only to face mounting deductions, fines and “debts” once inside the complexes. Contracts were often submitted after their arrival, tying them to unrealistic profit targets.
A Thai victim reported that they demanded generate $9,500 per day in scam profits to avoid fines, beatings or being “sold” to another venue.
Families were sometimes forced to pay ransoms of tens of thousands of dollars. The traffickers video-called their relatives and showed them how they abused their loved ones to pressure them to pay.
Corruption and impunity
The report highlights accusations of collusion between criminal syndicates and officials.
Victims described that officers who appeared to coordinate with recruiters had expedited their immigration process. Some reported that police entered the premises and received payments from managers.
Corruption is “deeply rooted” in these lucrative operationssays OHCHR.
Police raids have freed thousands of victims, including an operation in February 2025 along the Thai-Myanmar border in which about 7,000 people were freed. But observers warn that many crackdowns are ad hoc and resorts often resume operations or relocate.
Many rescued victims who were trafficked and forced to work at scam centers describe suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and facing threats at home. (representative photo)
After his release: ‘Escaping a tiger only to encounter a crocodile’
Freedom does not necessarily bring security. Many victims are detained in immigration centers, fined for visa violations, or prosecuted for crimes they were forced to commit.
OHCHR highlights the importance of the “principle of non-punishment” for victims of trafficking.
“Effective responses must focus on human rights laws and standards,“Essentially, that means explicitly recognizing forced criminality within anti-trafficking laws and regulations and ensuring the principle of non-punishment for victims of trafficking,” said High Commissioner Türk.
Survivors often return home traumatized, in debt, and stigmatized. Many face threats from recruiters or debt collectors. Many reported depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, and some considered leaving their homes and migrating to other countries.