South Asia: 'Trafficked to Scam'-An Emerging Threat

Dhaka, Bangladesh/16 September 2026: Human trafficking has taken on a new and increasingly dangerous form: people are being trafficked and forced to commit online scams. What first emerged and expanded to an industrial scale in South-East Asia is now a growing global concern. Victims from at least 80 countries have been identified in scam compounds across the region, while recruitment networks are spreading to other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

According to the new study “Trafficked to scam: South Asian responses to trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced criminality in scam operations” by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), countries across South Asia are increasingly becoming hubs for these operations.

In Sri Lanka, authorities have recorded a sharp rise in scam-related activities. Police have arrested more than 1,000 people on alleged cybercrime charges during the first five months of 2026 alone.

Since 2022, Nepalese authorities have identified hundreds of people, including both Nepali and foreign nationals, linked to online fraud operations run from scam centres within the country.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has also seen a growing number of scam operations and offshore gambling activities, which are often connected to money laundering, fraud and other forms of organized crime.

What is human trafficking into scam operations?

Human trafficking into scams happens when people are deceived, threatened or coerced into committing crimes for the benefit of traffickers.

In scam operations, victims are often forced to target people around the world through different types of online fraud, including romance scams, investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams and other forms of cybercrime.

Criminal networks target people with skills they can exploit, such as computer, digital or language skills.

Those forced to carry out scams also experience exploitation, violence, threats and severe psychological distress. But the harm does not stop with the victims on site. People around the globe targeted by these operations have lost significant amounts of money and suffer serious emotional and psychological harm.

The expansion of scam centres highlights how human trafficking networks are evolving, exploiting vulnerable people and forcing them into criminal activities while generating billions of dollars for organized crime groups.

Where does the crime happen in South Asia?

Scam centres in South-East Asia have typically been categorized as huge, secured compounds surrounded by barbed wire, electric fences and armed guards.

In South Asia, the picture is different. Criminal networks are operating from smaller, more dispersed locations.

Scam operations may be hidden in ordinary-looking places such as hotels, private villas, rented offices and apartment buildings. In many cases, they operate behind the façade of legitimate and registered businesses, complete with apparently valid documentation.

This makes detecting criminal operations – and identifying the people being exploited – even more difficult. Most people at detected sites have been young adult men between 18 and 40 years old.

What makes South Asia vulnerable to scams?

Many countries in South Asia are expanding Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which are areas created to attract investment, boost trade and create jobs. These zones often operate under different tax, customs or business regulations to encourage economic growth.

While SEZs can bring significant economic benefits, weak oversight and limited enforcement of laws can sometimes create opportunities for organized criminal groups to operate. When regulations are unclear or not consistently enforced, it can be easier for illicit activities to grow unnoticed.

South Asia is also seeing strong investment in digital industries, including technology, financial technology and online services. Rapid growth in these sectors can outpace regulatory frameworks, creating vulnerabilities that criminals may exploit.  

Underregulated casino, online gambling and gaming industries, along with some social media and digital platforms, provide attractive conditions for money laundering, human trafficking and corruption to operate unchecked.

How can South Asia respond to trafficking into scam operations?

Human trafficking into scam operations is a complex crime and tackling it requires interagency cooperation at every stage, including across borders.

Timely identification of victims is essential. People encountered in scam operations should be proactively screened for signs that they may have been trafficked and forced to commit crimes. This requires closer cooperation between agencies working on cybercrime, organized crime and human trafficking, so that potential victims are not overlooked and treated simply as offenders.

Law enforcement also needs the right tools and expertise to dismantle the networks behind these operations. Strengthening the use of specialized investigative techniques, alongside financial and cyber investigations, can help authorities uncover evidence and trace the individuals profiting from trafficking and exploitation, particularly those at the highest levels of criminal networks.

This crime knows no borders and no country can fight it alone. South Asian governments must use both formal and informal channels for international cooperation, proactively sharing information, supporting investigations and helping authorities in other countries take action.

What is UNODC doing to address the problem?

UNODC supports countries globally to combat human trafficking for forced criminality through targeted capacity-building in investigation, prosecution, and international cooperation.

It works with law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals to help them identify trafficking victims, investigate the criminal networks behind their exploitation and bring traffickers to justice.

Further information

The study was developed under the Preventing and Addressing Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants in South Asia initiative, funded by the European Union.

(Reproduced from: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/news/2026/September/trafficked-to-scam_-a-new-reality-in-south-asia.html)