AI-driven human trafficking scams from South-east Asia spreading globally: Interpol

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Interpol stated that victims from at least 66 countries have fallen prey to human trafficking and forced labour in online scam centres.

PHOTO: REUTERS

BANGKOK - Online scam centres driven by human trafficking have become a global threat in the digital age.

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has revealed a recent crime trend, stating that “

human trafficking-fuelled scam centres

In its March 2025 report, Interpol stated that victims from at least 66 countries have fallen prey to human trafficking and forced labour in online scam centres.

Seventy-four per cent of victims were taken to the traditional “hub” areas in South-east Asia, while scam centres in other countries are emerging, with West Africa potentially becoming the new hot spot for this type of crime.

Many human trafficking victims are lured through fake job advertisements, then detained in compounds and forced to engage in online fraud, including investment scams, money transfers, romance fraud and online gambling.

Those who resist are often threatened, and some face brutal abuse or even torture.

While not all workers in scam centres are human trafficking victims, those coerced into committing crimes are often intimidated with debt, forced to work endlessly, and some endure severe psychological distress.

Another form of victimisation involves those deceived online in other parts of the world, who lose large sums of money and, in some cases, their financial stability.

Interpol describes these online