UN report says Asia-Pacific scams cost $88-114 billion 2025

Transnational criminal syndicates operating in Southeast Asia generated staggering losses between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion from scam operations in the Asia-Pacific region last year, according to a new United Nations report released on July 21, 2026. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) described a rapidly industrializing illicit economy that is expanding globally, fueled by sophisticated technologies, corruption, and the exploitation of trafficked labor.

The report outlines how criminal networks, predominantly of Chinese origin, have adopted a corporate franchise model, with specialized departments for money laundering, human trafficking, and data harvesting interconnected across multiple illegal markets. While centered in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, the networks have diversified their revenue to include drug, human, and wildlife trafficking, with tentacles reaching Latin America, Europe, and Japan.

A key driver of the massive financial scale is the use of advanced technology. Criminal groups employ artificial intelligence to create convincing phishing content and deepfake videos, use AI-powered translations to target...