APG Says Southeast Asia Scam Hubs Generate Billions, Trap Victims for $3,000-$20,000 Ransoms
Updated
Updated · The Hindu · Jun 21
APG Says Southeast Asia Scam Hubs Generate Billions, Trap Victims for $3,000-$20,000 Ransoms
3 articles · Updated · The Hindu · Jun 21
Summary
APG’s 2025 typologies report says Southeast Asia has become a hub for online fraud generating tens of billions of dollars a year, with cyber scam compounds fueled by human trafficking.
Victims lured by overseas job offers are confined in border zones and SEZs, forced to run scams, and often made to repay transport and living costs; families are pressured to pay $3,000 to $20,000 for release.
The report says syndicates launder proceeds through mule accounts, hawala networks and cryptocurrencies, while shell companies and weak oversight help conceal ownership and shield operations.
India told Parliament in February 2026 that 6,998 citizens had been rescued from such centers since 2022, as the NIA, CBI and ED investigate trafficking networks sending Indians into "cyber slavery."
APG warns the hubs are decentralizing and using AI tools such as chatbots, deepfakes and voice cloning, calling for stronger regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and anti-money-laundering controls.