Multinational victims of scam centers, who were trafficked into working in Myanmar and were sent to Thailand on Feb. 12 amid a mounting crackdown on scam centers operating along a porous border, queue to get food at a shelter inside the 310th Military District (Fort Wachiraprakan), as they wait for their embassies to pick them up, in Tak province, Thailand Feb. 19, 2025. Photo by Reuters
AFP takes a look at why the crackdown is happening now and the broader implications for relations between the three countries.
Why a crackdown now?
Cyberscam centers — hubs for online fraud including investment and romance scams — have afflicted Southeast Asia for several years, evolving from…