"THE CHINESE GANGS TAUGHT ME HOW TO make my profile look credible, gain followers and post regularly. After finishing my training, I started identifying my victims through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Line," said Narin, a 20-year-old from northern Thailand.
Part of a troubling trend, Thailand leads Asia in scam calls and text messaging, with a staggering 78.8 million incidents reported since last year, according to the country's Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council, and $2 billion lost to such crimes in recent years.
Now, the gangs, often led by Chinese masterminds, are expanding into the U.S. and appear to be ensnaring more Americans. In 2023, U.S. authorities issued a stark warning about the growing danger of Americans being trafficked into scam syndicates in Southeast Asia. The seriousness of the situation became evident in December 2023, when the Department of Justice announced the indictment of four individuals based in the U.S. These individuals were accused of laundering over $80 million in profits from scam operations.
To warn others, ex-scammer Narin told Newsweek about his journey into the dark underbelly of cybercrime. He traveled from Thailand's Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai before crossing the border to Tachileik, Myanmar, from where he was taken to border city Laukkai, notorious for call center scams.
Recruited by friends of friends, he trusted them out of desperation for money. But once in Myanmar, he realized the true nature of the operation. Fearful for his safety, Narin felt trapped and couldn't leave.
His role was to identify victims online and incite them to transfer money, to be funneled through the operation's network.
Often, he pretended to be an officer from Shopee or Lazada, Southeast Asia's e-commerce giants in shopping rewards scams.
Romance Scams
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 11, 2024 من Newsweek Europe.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 11, 2024 من Newsweek Europe.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Ray Romano
THE MAJOR THING ABOUT NETFLIX'S NO GOOD DEED THAT APPEALED TO Ray Romano was that it was unlike anything he'd done before.
Has J.K. Rowling Won the Culture War?
After years of backlash over trans issues, the Harry Potter author has received major business backing
'This Murder Is a Symbol of the Times'
Conservatives and liberals agree on the state of the health care industry following the killing of Brian Thompson
The Defense Industry's Fight With ESG
EUROPEAN DEFENSE COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY smaller businesses, are being blocked from investment they sorely need by sustainability rules, a senior NATO official and several industry figures have said.
Nothin' Lasts Forever
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour' ends its record-breaking run..
SPY IN THE SKY
CHINA FACES ACCUSATIONS of ESPIONAGE and WEAPONIZING OUTER SPACE as it BUILDS a NEW OBSERVATORY in CHILE critics say WILL BE USED for MILITARY PURPOSES
Margo Martindale
\"WHO KNEW THAT A BARREL OF MAPLE SYRUP IS WORTH MORE THAN A barrel of oil?\"
Malala Yousafzai
\"AFGHANISTAN IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE world where girls are banned from access to education and women are limited from work.\"
In the Eyes of the Law
Jude Law is unrecognizable as an FBI agent on the trail of aneo-Naziterrorist group in real-crime drama The Order
AMERICA'S Most Responsible Companies 2025
IN THE FACE OF ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE and wage inequality, consumers care about the impact of the businesses they interact with and companies are responding.
