Key facts
- China and African nations are increasing security cooperation to fight cross-border cybercrime.
- Chinese criminal groups are using AI and cryptocurrency to facilitate scams.
- Americans lost at least $10 billion to Southeast Asia-based scams in 2024, with losses projected to rise.
- Chinese criminal organizations are establishing scam operations within China targeting foreigners.
- Scam centers are emerging in the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa.
China and African nations are strengthening their security cooperation to combat a growing wave of cross-border cybercrime, including online fraud and scam operations. Beijing hosted East African security ministers and police chiefs in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, on September 10 for discussions on terrorism, kidnapping, online fraud, and other transnational threats.
Chinese criminal organizations are increasingly leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to scale their operations, enhance scam sophistication, and evade detection. These AI-powered scams make it difficult for potential victims to discern truth from falsehood. The U.S. government estimates that Americans lost at least $10 billion to Southeast Asia-based scams in 2024, with projections indicating further increases in 2025. The U.S. Treasury Department has also noted these escalating losses.