Globalisation Of Scam Centres, ASEAN Police Scaling Up Surveillance To Stem Crime
By Vijian Paramasivam
PHNOM PENH, June 19 (Bernama) -- ASEAN police forces are stepping up surveillance, intelligence-sharing and cross-border cooperation to combat the growing threat of online scams as cyber-criminals expand their operations across borders.
Intelligence agencies are warning that transnational scam syndicates are relocating their operations to new destinations such as Laos and Sri Lanka, as law enforcement pressure intensifies in traditional scam hubs across the region.
Regional police or ASEANAPOL is developing a practical training curriculum to strengthen ASEAN’s collective response against online scams and cyber-enabled fraud, the agency said on its Facebook page on Thursday.
“As online scam syndicates continue to expand their operations across borders, exploiting digital platforms, financial systems and vulnerable communities throughout the region, ASEAN law enforcement agencies face an increasing need for coordinated operational responses and enhanced investigative capabilities,” said the organisation.
ASEANAPOL held a “Scam Combatting Operational Training Curriculum Development Workshop” in Semarang, Indonesia, from June 15 to 17, where they agreed on stern measures.
Key areas of focus are intelligence-led investigations, financial investigations and asset tracing, digital evidence collection, online fraud analysis, cross-border coordination, victim identification and protection and public-private cooperation, according to ASEANAPOL.
Governments across the region are battling to dismantle scam centres that have evolved into sophisticated crime networks siphoning billions of dollars from innocent victims worldwide.
Security forces in Cambodia and Myanmar -- known epicentres of the scamming industry -- are trying to banish syndicates that thrive by operating online scams and illegal online gambling.
The Cambodian government has detained about 200,000 illegal workers involved in online scams.
Myanmar has deported about 70,000 foreigners engaged in nefarious activities from 2023 to 2025 and demolished dozens of buildings used as scam centres, according to the Home Ministry.
Sri Lankan police arrested nearly 700 people involved in cybercrime this year, reported local media.
Syndicates are shifting to new locations, largely lured by easy visa policies, reliable internet infrastructure, expanding air connectivity and the ease of moving their illicit funds across borders.
According to the United States government estimates, Americans lost at least US$10 billion (RM40 billion) to scam operations based in Southeast Asia in 2024.
-- BERNAMA
