WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to cyber scam networks in Southeast Asia, after officials revealed that Americans lost more than $10 billion to such operations last year.
According to the US Treasury Department, the sanctions target operators of online scam centers in Myanmar (Burma) and forced labour compounds in Cambodia, where victims are allegedly trafficked, coerced and compelled to run fraudulent online schemes.
US Treasury Secretary Marco Rubio said the action was aimed at “disrupting the cruel victimization of Americans online” and holding perpetrators accountable. “These cyber scam centers exploit vulnerable people for forced labour while defrauding US citizens of billions of dollars,” he said.
Officials described the networks as highly organized criminal operations, often masquerading as call centres or online investment platforms, that rely on human trafficking victims to carry out financial fraud. The Treasury added that the targeted sanctions would freeze assets under US jurisdiction and prohibit American companies or individuals from conducting transactions with the designated persons and entities.
The announcement comes amid a growing international spotlight on scam compounds in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, where reports of widespread forced labour and cross-border criminal syndicates have raised concerns among human rights groups and governments alike.
Washington urged regional authorities to strengthen law enforcement cooperation and take concrete steps to dismantle these networks, which it said posed a “serious threat to financial security and human dignity.”
