- Thread starter
- Staff
- #1
Dadparvar
Staff member
- Nov 11, 2016
- 9,389
- 0
- 6
Transnational organized cybercrime groups from East and Southeast Asia are rapidly expanding operations beyond the region, leveraging advanced technologies and strategic relocation to evade growing enforcement pressure, according to a new report published Monday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report, Inflection Point: Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia, reveals that the syndicates have evolved into global cybercrime actors by integrating service-based business models, malware, AI-generated scams, deepfakes, and underground online marketplaces.
Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC Acting Regional Representative, said the expansion is both a sign of industry growth and a calculated hedge. “This reflects a natural expansion… but also a hedging strategy against future risks should disruption continue and intensify in the region,” he stated.
Operations are often run from compounds in Special Economic Zones and border areas, supported by underground banking and cryptocurrency-based laundering. UNODC estimates the annual profits from such scam centres now approach $40 billion, with a 600 percent surge in AI-generated deepfake content tied to fraud in Southeast Asia alone in early 2024.
“Criminal groups are exploiting vulnerabilities and outpacing government response,” said Masood Karimipour, UNODC’s Southeast Asia Regional Representative, in the 2024 report. He warned that the scale, speed, and sophistication of these crimes pose a growing global threat.
The networks are deemed to rely heavily on human trafficking for forced criminality. Thousands have been coerced into scam operations through fake job offers and are often held in captivity. In Myawaddy, Myanmar, earlier this year, thousands were released after operations were shut down, exposing the widespread abuse behind the profits.
The newest findings show syndicates forming synergies with other global criminal actors, supported by adjacent services like malware developers, data brokers, and unregulated virtual asset providers.
“The convergence of tech innovation with geographical expansion is intensifying the threat,” Hofmann said, “Governments must act now.”
The UNODC urges enhanced international coordination, stronger regulatory frameworks, and better enforcement of anti-money laundering laws. Both reports recommend adopting ASEAN’s Regional Cooperation Roadmap to counter the rising influence of these networks.
The report follows earlier findings from October 2024, which uncovered that Asian syndicates are no longer confined to regional strongholds. Criminal operations are dispersing to under-regulated zones in Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and even parts of Europe and the Americas.
The post UN says Asia cybercrime syndicates expanding global reach with tech-fueled scams appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.
The report, Inflection Point: Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia, reveals that the syndicates have evolved into global cybercrime actors by integrating service-based business models, malware, AI-generated scams, deepfakes, and underground online marketplaces.
Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC Acting Regional Representative, said the expansion is both a sign of industry growth and a calculated hedge. “This reflects a natural expansion… but also a hedging strategy against future risks should disruption continue and intensify in the region,” he stated.
Operations are often run from compounds in Special Economic Zones and border areas, supported by underground banking and cryptocurrency-based laundering. UNODC estimates the annual profits from such scam centres now approach $40 billion, with a 600 percent surge in AI-generated deepfake content tied to fraud in Southeast Asia alone in early 2024.
“Criminal groups are exploiting vulnerabilities and outpacing government response,” said Masood Karimipour, UNODC’s Southeast Asia Regional Representative, in the 2024 report. He warned that the scale, speed, and sophistication of these crimes pose a growing global threat.
The networks are deemed to rely heavily on human trafficking for forced criminality. Thousands have been coerced into scam operations through fake job offers and are often held in captivity. In Myawaddy, Myanmar, earlier this year, thousands were released after operations were shut down, exposing the widespread abuse behind the profits.
The newest findings show syndicates forming synergies with other global criminal actors, supported by adjacent services like malware developers, data brokers, and unregulated virtual asset providers.
“The convergence of tech innovation with geographical expansion is intensifying the threat,” Hofmann said, “Governments must act now.”
The UNODC urges enhanced international coordination, stronger regulatory frameworks, and better enforcement of anti-money laundering laws. Both reports recommend adopting ASEAN’s Regional Cooperation Roadmap to counter the rising influence of these networks.
The report follows earlier findings from October 2024, which uncovered that Asian syndicates are no longer confined to regional strongholds. Criminal operations are dispersing to under-regulated zones in Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and even parts of Europe and the Americas.
The post UN says Asia cybercrime syndicates expanding global reach with tech-fueled scams appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.