In a coordinated crackdown across Asia, more than 1,800 individuals have been arrested as part of an operation targeting scam networks, according to authorities in Hong Kong. This effort, which spanned several jurisdictions, intercepted fraudulent activities involving approximately $20 million, as revealed by Wong Chun-yue, the chief superintendent of the city’s police commercial crime bureau.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with law enforcement from South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Macao, Malaysia, and the Maldives. It specifically targeted various forms of scams including online shopping, telecommunication frauds, investment scams, and employment deception. As a result of these efforts, nearly 33,000 bank accounts were frozen by May 28, with those arrested ranging in age from 14 to 81.
In a notable case earlier in March, a finance director in Singapore was deceived by a deep-fake video impersonating a chief executive of a multinational corporation. This scam resulted in the transfer of $499,000 to Hong Kong. According to Aileen Yap, assistant director of Singapore’s anti-scam command, cross-border cooperation was key in recovering the defrauded funds.
Scam victims often include unsuspected individuals defrauded as well as employees within these scam operations who face threats, violence, and poor working conditions. An April report by the United Nations highlighted the expansion of transnational organized crime groups from East and Southeast Asia, noting their reach is now global.
These scams have been proliferating for years, especially in Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Scam operations frequently move locations to evade authorities, as noted by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. Such operations often recruit individuals under false pretenses, coercing them into schemes involving fake romances, fraudulent investment offers, and illicit gambling activities. Many workers find themselves in situations akin to modern slavery, trapped in these exploitative environments.