Organized cybercrime rings rooted in East and Southeast Asia are no longer just a regional concern. According to a new report from the United Nations, these groups are rapidly globalizing their fraudulent operations, exploiting weak enforcement in distant countries to avoid mounting crackdowns at home.
The report, titled Inflection Point, was released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It outlines how scam networks, once concentrated in hotspots like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, have begun spreading far beyond Asia. These criminal syndicates are now establishing operations across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and even remote Pacific islands.
Over the past few years, authorities in Southeast Asia have intensified efforts to dismantle scam compounds involved in romance scams, fake investment platforms, and illegal online gambling. These efforts, while impactful, have driven criminal groups to find new territories where oversight is lax and law enforcement is slower to act.
UNODC’s acting regional representative, Benedikt Hofmann, explained that this global shift is both a natural progression of a booming underground economy and a strategic move to avoid future disruptions in Asia. “It’s about growing the business and reducing risk,” he said.
Global Reach of Cyber Scams: From Lagos to Lima
UN researchers estimate that hundreds of these scam centers are operating on an industrial scale, collectively pulling in nearly $40 billion in illicit profits each year. And the geographical spread of these operations is startling.
In Nigeria, for example, a series of police raids in late 2024 and early 2025 led to the arrest of several individuals involved in cryptocurrency fraud and romance scams. Many of those apprehended were linked to Southeast Asian crime groups. Zambia and Angola have also seen similar busts of cybercrime cells with Asian ties.
Latin America isn’t immune either. Brazil has faced a rising tide of cyber-enabled fraud and illicit online gambling. Authorities have noted connections to Southeast Asian syndicates, adding pressure to an already fragile digital security environment. In Peru, a shocking case in late 2023 saw more than 40 Malaysians rescued after being trafficked by the Taiwan-based Red Dragon syndicate, which forced them to commit online fraud.
Even the Middle East and certain Pacific islands have seen the emergence of these Asian-led scam operations, the report warns.
The Rise of Crime-as-a-Service
But geographic expansion isn’t the only concern. These criminal groups are also evolving their tactics with the help of cutting-edge technology.
UNODC’s report highlights a dangerous trend: the professionalization and scaling of cybercrime through what it describes as “crime-as-a-service.” Sophisticated tools like malware kits, AI-generated deepfakes, and vast stolen data marketplaces are making it easier for scammers to operate and harder for authorities to track them.
These tools are not only enhancing their ability to deceive but also enabling them to set up shop in new countries with little effort. Hofmann warns that this convergence of global reach and technological advancement presents a new level of threat. “Governments must act fast,” he urged. “These operations are getting bigger, smarter, and harder to stop.”
The report concludes that as the boundaries of these networks stretch across continents, the global community must respond with equally coordinated action—before this digital criminal industry grows even further out of control.
