Satellite Shows Myanmar Scam Hub Shwe Kokko. This Google Earth photograph captured by Airbus optical satellite imagery on December 17, 2024, shows the scam hub of Shwe Kokko in Myawaddy in southeastern Myanmar on the border with Thailand. Google Earth
Recent satellite imagery shows the expansion of a notorious scam hub in southeastern Myanmar, linked to forced labor and other human rights abuses, that steals billions from unsuspecting Americans every year.
These operations are centered in Myawaddy, a region on Myanmar's border with Thailand that has become a hotspot for organized internet fraud networks. These scams are not only run by Burmese nationals but also involve people from across Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan, some of whom are suspected victims of forced labor.
The scam industry in this region has flourished within Kayin State (formerly known as Karen), which has long sought autonomy from Myanmar's central government. The area has been engulfed in decades-long conflict between armed ethnic groups and the Burmese authorities, who are now fighting multiple insurgencies following the 2021 military coup and its violent crackdown on opposition forces.
This photograph captured on March 4, 2025, by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites shows the emergence of the KK Park scam centers in Myawaddy in southeastern Myanmar.Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem
The roots of these scam centers trace back to the 1990s, coinciding with the decline of traditional casinos and the rise of online gambling in the Golden Triangle, where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet. The United States Institute for Peace (USIP) notes that Chinese crime groups played a key role in building up these illegal operations, initially with the aim of luring tourists, but later shifting to large-scale online scams.
Satellite imagery captured by the European Space Agency in March 2019 and on March 4, 2025, shows rapid expansion in Shwe Kokko, one of Myawaddy's largest scam hubs.
Newsweek contacted Myanmar's Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in Myanmar with emailed requests for comment.
This photograph captured on March 6, 2019, by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites shows the village of Shwe Kokko, a major scam hub in Myawaddy in southeastern Myanmar.Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem
This photograph captured on March 4, 2025, by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites shows the village of Shwe Kokko, a major scam hub in Myawaddy in southeastern Myanmar.Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem
Who Runs Myanmar's Scam Hubs?
Many of these scam centers continue to operate under the protection of the Karen National Army (KNA), a powerful armed ethnic group in Kayin State. The KNA has been accused of harboring criminal networks and benefiting financially from these illegal operations.
The USIP has drawn a stark comparison between these scam networks and the fentanyl crisis in the U.S., warning that they pose a major threat to American citizens. In a January 2024 report, the institute estimated that U.S. citizens lost $3.5 billion to Southeast Asia-based scams in 2023.
Chinese nationals are also prime targets, prompting Beijing to coordinate with Myanmar's government in recent years to crack down on scam compounds.
These operations involve hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting people across Asia and forces them to work under inhumane conditions, with torture and abuse widely reported. "They are victims. They are not criminals," stated Volker Türk, head of the United Nations Human Rights Office, in a 2023 report.
Many victims are lured with promises of high-paying jobs, only to be forced into running online scams under threats of violence.
The issue has also spilled over into Thailand, after a high-profile case involving 22-year-old Chinese actor Wang Xing, who vanished in Tak Province, near the Myanmar border. Reports suggest he was abducted and trafficked into a scam center, sparking an outcry on Chinese social media. He was found and released in early January about a week after he went missing.
The case has unnerved officials in Bangkok, worried about damage to Thailand's tourism industry due to fears of cross-border crime. "We have to manage this well so it does not impact Thai tourism," Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said.
What Is the Scam Center Crackdown?
In recent years China has, along with its ally the Myanmar junta, stepped up joint raids to shut down scam compounds amid continued fraud operations targeting Chinese citizens.
Beijing has been especially active, coordinating with Myanmar's government in joint operations to dismantle scam hubs that have bilked billions from Chinese nationals.
These crackdowns come with their own human rights risks, however, with the Chinese authorities reportedly operating outside local laws to extradite Chinese nationals involved.
"China hasn't been hiding its ambitions in projecting its police powers overseas … sometimes with little regard for local authorities," Mina Chiang, founder of Humanity Research Consultancy, was quoted as saying by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 4:39 AM.