Key facts
- Scam gangs defrauded Asia-Pacific residents of at least $88 billion in 2025, according to a UNODC report.
- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report estimates total losses between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion for 2025.
- Criminal syndicates are increasingly using corporate franchising-like models with specialized departments for various illicit activities.
- These groups are expanding into new markets and relocating operations to regions with weak governance.
- The report highlights the growing use of artificial intelligence, including agentic AI, by scam operators.
Transnational crime groups operating in the Asia-Pacific region have defrauded residents of at least $88 billion in 2025, with losses potentially reaching up to $114.1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report highlights that these syndicates are rapidly evolving their tactics, moving beyond traditional territorial operations to a more interconnected, service-based model akin to corporate franchising. They are diversifying revenue streams, exploiting corruption, and increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence, including agentic AI systems, to identify victims, conduct social engineering, and facilitate cryptocurrency theft and laundering.
Southeast Asia is identified as an epicenter for these cyberfraud operations, largely run by Chinese-origin syndicates. Many scam facilities are staffed by trafficked foreign nationals from at least 80 countries, confined in oppressive environments. The report notes that recent law enforcement pressure has displaced but not dismantled these operations, with gangs relocating to areas with weaker governance, such as East Timor and Pacific Island states, as well as parts of Africa.
Recruitment efforts are expanding beyond Asia, targeting individuals with specific language skills from Europe and other regions. The UNODC emphasizes that the scale and complexity of this organized crime economy are outpacing current law enforcement responses.