Can Myanmar's scam centers be shut down for good?

Hundreds of thousands of people have been lured into fake jobs across Southeast Asia after being promised lucrative employment.

They have been effectively treated as slaves, forced into working scam activities, swindling billions of dollars through fake romances, investments, cryptocurrency, and illegal gambling.

In war-torn Myanmar, the illegal scams are common, with its border towns being a common place for operations to thrive. 

Thailand has recently cut off electricity, internet and gas supplies to several border areas in Myanmar in an attempt to disrupt the scam compounds.

As part of the joint crackdown by authorities in Thailand, Myanmar and China, thousands of trafficked people are now awaiting repatriation to their home countries. However, such a vast operation requires nations to claim their citizens before they are sent home. 

Actor Wang Xing (right) was forced to shave his head after being kidnapped in ThailandImage: The Royal Thai Police/AP Photo/picture alliance

Region-wide response needed for repatriation

People from a number of countries are reportedly being held in Myanmar, including thousands of Chinese, hundreds of Indians, Vietnamese, Ethiopians and other Africans.

Amy Miller, Southeast Asia director of Acts of Mercy International, an aid group based on the Thailand-Myanmar border, told the Associated Press that a global response is needed for home governments to take responsibility for their citizens.

Miller told DW that as of Monday, the vast majority of 7,000 people awaiting repatriation are still in Myanmar, either in military-controlled camps or still in scam compounds. She said around "200-plus" people are waiting in Thailand. 

"No matter where they are, it's a very large number of people, and the processing of those people is extremely taxing for every government involved. The ability to screen them is challenging. The language is a barrier. Technology is a barrier," she said.

"We believe they are ... registering them in batches and giving those numbers and information back to embassies in Thailand."

"Thailand is really the gatekeeper," Miller noted, adding that countries' limited resources and unclear processes are slowing repatriation.

On Friday, 84 Indonesians returned home after being repatriated from Thailand. India and China are also expected to arrange flights for their trafficked nationals.

Authorities in Thailand and Myanmar have ramped up efforts following public calls and reports about how the scammers — often victims themselves — have been violently forced into working in these operations, many of which have ties to Chinese criminal networks.

As such, China has also taken an important role in cracking down on scam centers in Myanmar. Online scams are also a domestic problem for Beijing.

In January, a Chinese actor went missing after traveling to Thailand for what he believed to be a role in a major entertainment company's movie.

Once there, 31-year-old Wang Xing, who also uses Xingxing as a screen name, was allegedly met by armed men who forced him into a car and took him across the Thai border into Myanmar.

His captors shaved his head and reportedly started training him to scam Chinese people while working in a call center.

He was rescued and returned to Thailand four days later following a social media outcry in China.

Since October 2023, Myanmar's military administration has deported more than 55,000 foreigners involved in the scamming activities — more than 53,000 of whom were Chinese, according to Myanmar state media.

Thailand helped transfer about 900 Chinese nationals who had been trapped in scam operations in Myanmar in 2024.

But despite these rescue and deportation operations, Miller said criminal groups are readjusting, and the 7,000 awaiting repatriation are only a fraction of those trafficked people still inside scam compounds.

"We know a lot of Chinese bosses are moving people to areas further south, building compounds that are less touchable, a little bit more hidden. Those who have been released were more [likely] the low earners, and the high earners are still in the compounds," she added.

Will the crackdown have a lasting impact?

Tita Sanglee, an associate fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, says it's difficult to eradicate the scam center practices.

"The crackdown by the Thai government has certainly disrupted scam operations, but I don't think it will have a lasting impact. First, these scammers are highly resilient. They've likely anticipated power cuts and have backup generators," she told DW, adding that many crime syndicates have probably already relocated to Cambodia.

"So the electricity cuts seem to have mostly affected ordinary folks in border areas."

Sanglee noted that although many scammers are victims of trafficking, some work voluntarily, drawn by lucrative earnings.

"In this sense, there's no way to eliminate these scam businesses without creating legitimate job opportunities for the people," she added.

Mark S. Cogan, associate professor of peace and conflict studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan, echoed Sanglee's sentiments.

"I would say that the efforts are not going to be good enough, as I believe the criminal enterprises, both Chinese and those from Myanmar, will still exist," he told DW.

"So no, this is not the end of scam centers," he added. "More likely the nature of criminality will change to suit optimal conditions."

Edited by: Keith Walker