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Key points
- The International Organization for Migration estimates that roughly 300,000 people from over 80 countries are currently exploited in Asian scam compounds.
- Amy Pope said recruiters use fraudulent job advertisements to lure people before confiscating documents and compelling them to conduct online fraud.
- Trafficked workers can suffer sexual abuse and may face prosecution after escaping or being released in government operations, the IOM said.
- Myanmar’s military-backed parliament approved penalties, including execution, for using violence or coercion to force people into online scams.
- IOM-cited UN figures estimated scam-related losses in 2025 at $114 billion across East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
How the story developed
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Latest development
Myanmar’s military-backed parliament approved legislation allowing severe penalties, including execution, for coercive abuse connected to online scams.
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