Recently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken a significant step by launching a large-scale crackdown on transnational telecom fraud. The main targets of this operation are fraud organizations in the Southeast Asia region, particularly businesses and individuals related to Myanmar and Cambodia.

The background of this action is shocking. According to official US statistics, the economic losses caused by telecom fraud in the country have exceeded $10 billion in 2024, a 66% increase compared to the same period last year. Even more concerning is that these fraudulent activities mainly target the elderly population, whose pensions and retirement savings have become the primary targets of fraudsters.

The operation modes of these scam organizations are quite similar. They usually use high-paying jobs as bait to lure individuals abroad. Once they reach their destination, the victims’ passports are confiscated, their personal freedom is restricted, and they are forced to participate in various online scam activities, including investment fraud and virtual currency scams. Some victims even suffer from violent treatment, and these actions constitute transnational organized crime.

It is worth noting that despite China's large-scale crackdown in the northern Myanmar region last year, telecom fraud activities in Southeast Asia have not been completely eradicated. On the contrary, these criminal groups have moved to regions such as eastern Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines, and continue to expand their operations. Particularly in areas like Myawaddy in eastern Myanmar, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and Sihanoukville, a complete gray industrial chain has formed, including fraud, money laundering, and online gambling. Even more concerning is that some local political and business powers may provide protection behind the scenes.

The United States has discovered through satellite monitoring that the scale of some scam parks in Cambodia is rapidly expanding, raising concerns. It is estimated that the annual revenue of the Southeast Asian telecommunications scam industry exceeds $50 billion, with about one third coming from losses suffered by American victims. This has made the United States the largest 'customer' of these scam groups.

In addition to the Southeast Asia region, scam groups from India are also actively targeting American citizens, further exacerbating economic losses in the United States. In the face of such a severe situation, the recent actions of the U.S. government demonstrate its determination to combat transnational telecom fraud, highlighting the global and complex nature of this issue. In the future, the international community may need to cooperate more closely to effectively curb the spread of such transnational criminal activities.