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Southeast Asian scam parks reach industrial scale, US says China-linked crime groups are main drivers

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Southeast Asian scam parks have reached an industrialized scale, driven primarily by Chinese-background criminal organizations, according to a US State Department official.
  • These operations, involving telecom fraud and human trafficking, are expanding beyond their traditional hubs in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
  • US officials are calling for greater action from China, suggesting its efforts to combat scams targeting its own citizens may inadvertently shift focus to foreigners.

Southeast Asian scam parks have evolved into an industrialized operation, largely fueled by criminal organizations with Chinese backgrounds, according to a US State Department official. These sprawling illicit hubs, notorious for telecom fraud and human trafficking, are rapidly expanding from their core locations in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos into South Asia, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere.

The vast majority of scam activities are led and managed by Chinese nationals.

— Michael DeSombreDescribing the leadership and management of scam operations in Southeast Asia.

Michael DeSombre, the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, stated in a Senate hearing that these scamming activities have reached an unprecedented industrial scale. He emphasized that transnational criminal organizations originating from China are the primary drivers, with Chinese citizens predominantly leading and managing the majority of these fraudulent operations. DeSombre noted that even when based outside China, these organizations are often run by Chinese nationals or individuals of Chinese descent.

US lawmakers are increasingly viewing cross-border fraud as a national security challenge. Senator Jeanne Shaheen highlighted that American citizens lose over $12 billion annually to these overseas scam operations, with global losses exceeding $100 billion. Senator Pete Ricketts criticized China's perceived "selective enforcement," pointing out that while Beijing has intensified crackdowns on scams targeting Chinese citizens, this may inadvertently redirect criminal focus toward foreigners.

These transnational criminal organizations, although many are based outside of China, are operated by Chinese nationals or individuals of Chinese descent, whether in Cambodia, Myanmar, or Laos. Therefore, China clearly plays a role in this.

— Michael DeSombreExplaining the involvement of Chinese nationals and descent individuals in running scam operations abroad.

Concerns have been raised that some individuals repatriated to China after engaging in fraud in Southeast Asia may establish smaller-scale scam networks within China targeting foreign nationals upon their release. The US Department of Justice established a dedicated task force in November to combat transnational fraud, involving agencies like the FBI, signaling a heightened focus on this issue.

China's 'selective enforcement'...

— Pete RickettsCriticizing China's approach to combating transnational fraud.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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