Southeast Asian scam networks could cost victims up to $114.1 billion in 2025

Odaily Planet Daily News The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report stating that fragmented criminal groups in Southeast Asia have reorganized into a single, interconnected criminal economy, operating based on shared fraud and money laundering infrastructure.

UNODC estimates that fraud crimes in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand caused losses ranging from $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in 2025, with a significant portion coming from crypto investment scams and romance scams operated by industrial parks, with related profits laundered on-chain. The report states that personnel from at least 80 countries have been found in scam parks, and the scam networks are recruiting individuals with European and North American language skills through advertisements. The report also pointed out that malicious advertising increased by 42% year-over-year in 2025, and satellite internet allows criminal activities to operate in remote areas. (Decrypt)