“The treatment individuals receive as part of scam operations is alarming,” the report said.
The report, titled A malicious problemis based on in-depth, trauma-sensitive interviews with victims of human trafficking and forced to work in fraud centers, and on information from a range of sources, including confidential ones. It was published in Geneva on Friday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The company 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 employed in operations across Southeast Asia. Most of these are concentrated in the Mekong region, showing that 74 percent of scammers are located there.
Although calculating exact profits is difficult, some sources estimate global annual sales at around $64 billion. In the Mekong region alone, the industry could be worth more than $43.8 billion per year.
These scam operations are “entrenched” and “well funded,” the report notes, with their locations ranging from remote border areas to special economic zones and major cities.
“The litany of abuse is staggering and heartbreaking at the same time.Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
“But instead of receiving protection, care and rehabilitation, as well as the pathways to justice and redress to which they are entitled, Victims are all too often confronted with disbelief, stigmatization and even further punishment.”
Within the lush compounds
Survivors described enormous buildings that resembled ‘cities in their own right, some of which cover more than 500 hectares.”
Multi-storey buildings are surrounded by barbed wire walls and guarded by armed security personnel. Some even include supermarkets, restaurants, casinos and brothels.
More flexible operations operate from apartments, hotels or gated houses. Regardless of scale, control is the defining characteristic.
Victims reported confiscated passports, limited communications and constant surveillance. Many described the complexes as ‘prisons’, with locked gates and harsh punishments for escape attempts.
Forced to commit crimes
Those trafficked into the complexes are forced to commit a range of online scams, including impersonation fraud, cryptocurrency investment schemes, gambling platforms, extortion and so-called romance scams.
Operations are highly organized, with several units dealing with scammer 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 may have known they would be working in questionable online jobs did not expect detention or violence. “All victims described having suffered and/or witnessed serious abuse, which amounted to torture within scam complexes,says the report.
“Morning meetings often featured underperforming teams being publicly subjected to torture as a warning to others.”
Abuse as enforcement
The punishment for not meeting the cheating quota is severe. A Sri Lankan survivor said he spent hours in ‘water prisons’ after missing monthly targets. Others described confinement chambers true people were locked in complete darkness for days.
Victims indicated that they were forced to do so witnessing or even abusing others. A Bangladeshi man said he was ordered to hit colleagues. A Ghanaian victim had to watch his friend being beaten.
Deaths at the compound were frequently mentioned by victims
Sexual violence has reportedly increased since 2024. Women described rape, forced prostitution and forced abortions. Male victims reported sexual humiliation and assault. Twelve women released from camps in Myanmar say they were raped and impregnated, while a pregnant Filipino survivor suffered physical violence and electrocution.
Lack of food, sleep deprivation and extreme working hours – up to 19 hours a day – were common. One victim said his group was left with almost no food for 15 to 20 days, leaving them weak “we couldn’t even stand.”
What OHCHR says must be done
Without coordinated action based on human rights principles, the agency warns, the convergence of cybercrime, corruption and human trafficking will continue to increase.
- Embed “non-punishment principle‘ into the law so that victims of human trafficking are not prosecuted for crimes they were forced to commit.
- Warranty safe, timely rescue operations and protection under the law.
- Provided trauma-informed medical and psychological rehabilitation – regardless of immigration status.
- Expand safe labor migration processes and tightens supervision of recruitment agencies.
- Tackling corruption and official conspiracy enabling scam connections.
- Strengthen cooperation between governments, digital platforms and financial institutions to disrupt online recruitment and money laundering.
Read the full report here.
Wage theft, debt and ransom
Most victims said they were promised significant salaries, but once inside the complexes they faced deductions, fines and escalating “debts.” Contracts were often presented after arrival, which tied them to unrealistic profit targets.
A Thai victim reported that this was mandatory Generating $9,500 per day in scam proceeds to avoid fines, mistreatment, or being ‘sold’ to another compound.
Families were sometimes forced to pay ransoms of tens of thousands of dollars. Traffickers video call family members and show their loved ones being abused to pressure payment.
Corruption and impunity
The report highlights allegations of collusion between criminal syndicates and officials.
Victims described being rushed through immigration by agents who appeared to be coordinating with recruiters. Some reported police entering buildings and receiving payments from managers.
Corruption is “deeply entrenched” in these lucrative operationssays OHCHR.
Law enforcement raids have freed thousands of victims, including a February 2025 operation along the Thailand-Myanmar border that freed some 7,000 people. But observers warn that much repression takes place on an ad hoc basis and that complexes often resume operations or relocate.
© ILO/Emmanuel Maillard
Many rescued victims who were trafficked and forced to work in scam centers describe suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and facing threats at home. (representative photo)
After release: ‘Escape from a tiger only to meet a crocodile’
Freedom does not necessarily bring security. Many victims are held in immigration facilities, fined for visa violations, or prosecuted for crimes they were forced to commit.
OHCHR emphasizes the importance of the “non-punishment principle” for victims of human trafficking.
“Effective responses must focus on human rights law and standards,High Commissioner Türk said: “Crucially, this means that coercive crime is explicitly recognized within anti-trafficking laws and regulations and that the principle of non-punishment for victims of trafficking is guaranteed.”
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, with some considering leaving their homes and migrating to other countries.
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