A recent report released by the UN Human Rights Office highlights the ongoing issue of online scam crime syndicates primarily situated in Southeast Asia. The report features harrowing accounts of victims who have attempted to escape these organizations, only to face death or further torture if they fail to meet the targets set by their captors. With estimates suggesting that over 300,000 individuals from at least 66 countries have been trafficked and exploited within these scams, the alarming scale of this illegal activity is becoming increasingly apparent.

The report, which compiled data from remote interviews with 19 victims, testimonies from 45 individuals provided by civil society organizations, and publicly available information, reveals the extent of abuse faced by these victims. They described horrific conditions including torture, sexual abuse, forced abortions, and solitary confinement while being held in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the UAE between 2021 and 2025. Approximately 74% of these scam organizations are concentrated in the Mekong River Basin, with their crime operations expanding to Pacific island nations, South Asia, the Middle East, West Africa, and the Americas by March 2025.

The report indicates that a significant portion of the victims initially encountered these scams through acquaintances or family members, with 75% of respondents stating that they were referred to job opportunities by people they knew. Furthermore, 68% accepted the jobs based on the promise of financial compensation, while nearly half were either unemployed or working part-time jobs at the time of their recruitment. The desire to escape their economic hardships is highlighted as a significant motivating factor that drives these individuals to engage with dangerous scam operations, further complicating the fight against human trafficking and exploitation in the region.