2 months ago
- The scam industry in Myanmar is expanding and moving deeper into jungle areas, with new compounds under construction despite crackdowns.
- Shunda Park, a major compound, held about 3,000 trafficked workers who faced brutal punishments for failing to meet scam targets.
- Large centres like KK Park and Shwe Kokko were raided, but the industry is decentralizing into smaller, mobile 'Scamming 2.0' and '3.0' operations.
- Scammers increasingly rely on satellite internet and performative demolition to evade detection, while victims are lured with false jobs and forced to run romance and pig-butchering scams.
- An estimated 120,000 people are trapped in Myanmar's scam compounds, with the military and militias financially benefiting from the illicit economy.
- The Karen National Union (KNU) is a key actor willing to combat scams, but civil war and lack of government control hinder efforts.