Tens of thousands of people, many of them Chinese, have been caught up in cyber scams based in Southeast Asia
In this photo released by Zhang Hongliang, Zhang Hongliang poses for a selfie in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, on Oct. 19, 2023. Zhang is just one of tens of thousands caught up in the powerful reach of Chinese crime syndicates based across Southeast Asia running large-scale cyber scams.
In recent years, media reports have uncovered instances of young people being lured to places in Cambodia or Myanmar for high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work as scammers. Rescue organizations say people are regularly beaten or face physical punishments such as being forced to run laps if they don't perform well.and Myanmar agreed to set up a joint police operations center to tackle cyber scams in the region. On Oct.
Myanmar's border regions long have been a magnet for criminals — historically including drug producers and traffickers — because of lax law enforcement. Such places are generally under the control of ethnic minority armed groups, either opposed to or allied with Myanmar’s central government. Some also cooperate with organized crime gangs.
The scammers divide their targets into two categories: Chinese and non-Chinese. They use scripts, images of models and influencers and translation software to trick the people they contact by phone or online into parting with their money. Victims can be anywhere in the world. Zhang was wary. Since a 2021 coup, military-controlled Myanmar has been embroiled in civil conflict. But Gao reassured him that he wouldn’t be doing anything illegal and said the restaurant would have plenty of customers since many cyber scam businesses were operating in the area.
“We all went out with this wonderful sense of hope, but then reality slammed us in the face,” he said.The Ministry of Public Security has claimed “breakthrough results” through operations in coordination with Myanmar authorities. On Monday, they announced they had repatriated another 2,349 people. The ministry did not respond to a faxed request for comment.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China crackdown on cyber scams in Southeast Asia nets thousands but leaves networks intactTens of thousands of people, many of them Chinese, have been caught up in cyber scams based in Southeast Asia. Local and Chinese authorities have netted thousands of people in a crackdown on such schemes, but experts say they are failing to root out the local elites and criminal networks that are running the scams.
Read more »
China Coast Guard Ship Collides With Philippine Boat in South China SeaBrief collision shows growing tensions in an area where close maritime encounters can spiral out of control
Read more »
China and Philippines accuse each other over collisions in disputed South China SeaChina and the Philippines on Sunday accused each other of causing collisions in a disputed area of the South China Sea, the latest in a string of maritime confrontations between the two countries that have heightened regional tensions.
Read more »
China, Philippines Trade Accusations Over South China Sea CollisionChina and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there on Sunday, the latest in a series of maritime confrontations. The two countries have had numerous...
Read more »
Philippines tells China to stop provocative actions in South China SeaThe Philippines repeated its call for China to stop 'provocative actions', warning that its attempts to block Manila's resupply missions to a disputed atoll in the South China Sea could have 'disastrous results'.
Read more »
Tesla recalls tens of thousands of vehiclesTesla is recalling tens of thousands of its vehicles because of a brake fluid issue.
Read more »