Scam, Inc.: China Cracks Down on Booming Industry In Southeast Asia
NEED TO KNOW
Scam, Inc.: China Cracks Down on Booming Industry In Southeast Asia
CHINA/ CAMBODIA / MYANMAR / THAILAND
Lisa, an 18-year-old from Thailand, was hunting for a job during a school break when she was recruited for an administrative job promising a high salary.
Instead of finding an office job, however, she was smuggled across a river at night into Cambodia, where she spent 11 months held against her will, forced to scam people in other countries and on other continents. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten.
“There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole…,” she recounted in interviews with Amnesty International. “They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting (me) until I stop.”
Lisa is one of hundreds of thousands of young Asians and Africans trafficked or lured to Cambodia and Myanmar by the promise of high-paying jobs, only to end up working in an online scam industry bilking billions of dollars from Americans, Chinese, and others in schemes run by Chinese criminal gangs that operate throughout Southeast Asia.
A study last year found that these so-called “pig-butchering” schemes stole more than $75 billion from victims around the world between 2020 and 2024.
The industry, which has exploded over the past five years in the region, centers on Cambodia and Myanmar but also includes Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines, and is estimated to have involved as many as 1.5 million workers, the United States Institute of Peace says.
It is “a growing threat to global peace and security,” it wrote.
Often, those who are recruited – from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, as well as India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines, and Ethiopia – are held in prison-like compounds surrounded by barbed-wire fences, high walls, and armed guards.
In Cambodia alone, investigators from Amnesty International identified 53 prison-like compounds that house online scamming operations, as well as 45 “suspicious locations,” it wrote in a new report.
There, those recruited contact foreigners and pose as potential romantic partners, offer fake investment opportunities or sell goods on marketplaces such as eBay or Facebook that will never appear.
Nearly all the victims Amnesty International interviewed after they were freed in raids by local police, described conditions it called “slavery,” where poor-performing workers were even sold to other gangs and from which “escape was impossible.”
“Human trafficking, forced labor, child labor, torture and other ill-treatment, deprivation of liberty and slavery are being carried out on a mass scale in scamming compounds located across the country,” it wrote.
It added that the government supports the industry.
“The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue…,” it said. “(It) could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show.’”
However, that began to change earlier this year after China got involved – again.
A new crackdown by the country – it tried before in 2023 – was sparked by the January abduction of Wang Xing, a Chinese actor, who flew to Bangkok for a supposed casting call and disappeared. He was trafficked to Myawaddy, Myanmar, to work at a scam center. After his girlfriend pleaded for help on social media in a post viewed by hundreds of millions of people and reported by state newspapers, the outrage prompted the Chinese government to act, initiating his rescue, CNN reported.
China began putting pressure on Thailand and Myanmar to shut down the scam centers. As a result, Thai officials have made it more difficult to get to Cambodia via Thailand and cut off electricity, Internet, and gas supplies to several areas in Myanmar near the Thai border that host these scam centers.
In February, more than 1,000 Chinese nationals who had worked at online scam centers in eastern Myanmar were freed and repatriated. It’s estimated that 45,000 Chinese nationals have been rescued over the past two years from the scam centers across the region.
Meanwhile, the plea also set off petitions from more than 1,200 Chinese families with missing loved ones to the government to intervene and return their family members.
In spite of the rescue of thousands, many of whom face large hurdles in trying to return home, thousands more remain enslaved, wrote Radio Free Asia.
“What is extraordinary about Wang’s case is not the fake job ad, the kidnapping or the cross-border smuggling into a compound filled with thousands of victims from around the world,” it said. “Rather, it is his rescue…”
THE WORLD, BRIEFLY
Russia Vows To Escalate Strikes As Ukraine Pleads For Weapons
UKRAINE / RUSSIA
Russia will move forward with its summer offensive in Ukraine, officials said over the weekend, despite US President Donald Trump’s renewed push for peace, with Moscow launching a record-breaking drone and missile assault on Kyiv just hours after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the BBC reported.
Russian forces fired 539 drones and 11 missiles overnight Friday, hitting nearly every district of Kyiv and other regions, including Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Chernihiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s air force said 72 drones penetrated its defenses. One person was killed and 26 were injured in Kyiv, where fires damaged rail infrastructure, schools, and residential buildings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault as a “demonstratively significant and cynical” attack.
Both countries continued trading strikes on Sunday, disrupting Russian air travel and prompting further casualties. Ukrainian authorities said at least four civilians were killed, with at least six injured in the latest wave of attacks, according to the Guardian.
The weekend bombardment followed a phone call on Thursday between Trump and Putin. The US president later said he was “very disappointed” with the lack of progress, adding that he didn’t think Putin is “looking to stop.”
Following the call, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov reiterated Russia’s aim to eliminate the “root causes” of the war – a term Moscow has repeatedly used to justify its 2022 invasion aimed at blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership, according to Al Jazeera.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would continue its offensive unless its objectives were met through diplomatic means.
Ushakov noted that while Putin expressed “readiness” to negotiate, he rejected Washington’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. The Kremlin also indicated a preference for bilateral talks with Kyiv rather than a trilateral format involving US mediators.
In response, Trump warned Friday that Russia could face additional sanctions if it refused to engage in a political settlement, added Radio Free Europe.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy confirmed over the weekend that he had the “most productive” phone call to date with Trump over the weekend, with the two discussing air defense and the need for additional Patriot missile systems, Reuters noted.
The US said Ukraine “is going to need them for defense,” but did not commit to resuming shipments.
The weapons discussion came amid rising tensions between the US and Ukraine after Washington paused weapons shipments to Kyiv late last month, a move that deepened concerns about the country’s ability to defend itself.
The Pentagon’s recent decision to suspend a shipment of air defense missiles and precision-guided artillery to Kyiv reportedly surprised some US officials, including lawmakers, and Washington’s allies.
While the White House defended the decision as part of an ongoing review in light of escalating tensions in the Middle East, an internal analysis later found the shipment would not have endangered US stockpiles, NBC News wrote.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he hoped the US would show flexibility on arms shipments, while Germany confirmed talks with Washington to purchase additional Patriot systems for Ukraine.
Amid growing weapons needs, Zelenskyy confirmed Sunday that Kyiv had reached an agreement with European allies and a US defense firm to ramp up drone production, the Guardian added.
Iran’s Khamenei Emerges In Public First Time After Conflict Amid New US Sanctions
IRAN
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared in public over the weekend for the first time since the June war with Israel erupted, speaking to Iranians amid mounting domestic and international pressure over his leadership and new US sanctions, CNN reported.
State-run media aired footage of Khamenei addressing worshippers marking the eve of Ashura, ending weeks of speculation about his whereabouts during the 12-day conflict that saw Israel and the US launch coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites.
Khamenei reportedly spent the conflict in a secure bunker, with Israeli and US officials openly discussing plans to remove him.
During last month’s conflict, Trump – who ordered strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities – described Khamenei as an “easy target,” adding, “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” the Hill added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his elimination would end the war rather than escalate it.
Following the June 24 ceasefire, Iran’s supreme leader rejected calls for the country’s surrender and accused Washington of using nuclear concerns as a pretext to undermine Iran.
Analysts said the strikes – which killed high-ranking Iranian military leaders – bruised Khamenei’s reputation in Iran.
Khamenei’s reappearance came a day after Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the US would not allow Iran to restart its nuclear program. The president said he would discuss the matter with Netanyahu in Washington on Monday.
Meanwhile, talks between US and Iranian officials are expected to take place this week in Norway, with discussions likely to include sanctions relief.
However, Washington announced new sanctions targeting a smuggling network led by Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said, accused of disguising Iranian oil as Iraqi to evade sanctions, the Times of Israel noted.
The network allegedly blended billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil with Iraqi exports and sold them through intermediaries in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. Washington also blacklisted ship owners VS Tankers and several affiliated vessels said to be involved in covert deliveries to Western markets.
Equatorial Guinea Sues France Over Paris Mansion
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Equatorial Guinea filed a complaint against France at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the weekend, the latest round of litigation between the two nations over a luxury Paris mansion seized by French authorities because of corruption, France 24 reported.
The West African nation asked the United Nations’ top court to intervene after French police allegedly entered the property and changed the locks last month.
It asked the court not to sell the building and demanded “immediate, complete and unhindered access” to it.
The years-long dispute centers on the mansion located on the upscale Avenue Foch near the Arc de Triomphe in the French capital. Estimated to be worth more than $118 million, the property features a private cinema, a hammam steam bath, and gold-plated fixtures.
In 2021, French authorities confiscated the property after the country’s top appeals court convicted Equatorial Guinean Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue – also known as Teodorin – under a law targeting fortunes fraudulently amassed by foreign leaders.
The court handed Teodorin – son of long-standing President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo – a three-year suspended sentence and more than $35 million in fines.
If it accepts the case, it would be the second time the ICJ would decide on a suit centering on the mansion: In 2016, Equatorial Guinea brought a case before the court, claiming that the building has served as the country’s embassy.
It also accused France of violating the Vienna Convention, which safeguards diplomats from interference by host countries. But France countered that the mansion served no diplomatic purpose and that Teodorin was using it as his private residence.
The world court sided with France in the case, saying the African nation only tried to designate it as a diplomatic venue after an investigation began into the vice president.
While the ICJ’s rulings are binding, the court has no enforcement mechanism and remains occupied with a growing caseload, including cases on Gaza and climate change.
DISCOVERIES
Crafty Cockies
Cockatoos are adept adapters. In urban areas, they have been spotted prying open trash cans with their feet to find food.
Now, a new study tracking populations of sulfur-crested cockatoos in Western Sydney has found that they have learned how to turn the handle on public drinking fountains to take a sip of water – after waiting in line for their turn to drink.
“It’s the first time we are aware of wild parrots developing this kind of innovative drinking behavior,” study author John Martin said in a statement. “We know that cockatoos have a particularly high level of innovativeness and problem-solving, and are attracted to novelty.”
The team used motion-triggered wildlife cameras to film the birds in action. They were observed across several local reserves and sports fields over weeks and were found to be successful in turning the fountain’s tap to allow the water to flow and then taking a sip of water 41 percent of the time.
“We watched the cockatoos operating the drinking fountain using coordinated actions with both feet,” Martin explained. “More often than not, the bird would place one foot – mainly the right – on the twist-handle or the valve, with the other foot used to grip the rubber spout or bubbler. Sometimes they would also use both feet on the valve.”
Then, the cockatoos lowered their weight to turn the twist-handle clockwise and stop it from spraying back while they turned their heads to drink.
The birds mostly access the fountains at dawn and dusk, and they wait in line for their turn, perched on a nearby fence.
“The research shows that despite challenges like loss of habitat, cockatoos are very successful urban adaptors,” said Martin. “It shows that this kind of drinking innovation can be learned and then spread amongst a local bird population, forming a new urban-adapted tradition.”
Similar to their technique of opening trash cans, this drinking behavior was observed across the local cockatoo population.
While the trash can-opening behavior was mostly adopted by male birds, researchers found that both male and female birds drink at the fountains, with no significant difference.
Watch the cockatoos’ unique drinking technique here.